Home - 50Sense - For women not afraid of growing olderhttps://www.50sense.net/home/Wed, 20 Mar 2019 17:32:04 +0000en-USSite-Server v6.0.0-17332-17332 (http://www.squarespace.com)So Just Shop: Meet the ethical brand helping to lift women out of povertyFashion & beautyElizabeth Carr-EllisWed, 20 Mar 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/so-just-shop-meet-the-ethical-brand-helping-to-lift-women-out-of-poverty5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c902ae04e17b65b7befd643From jewellery to homeware, the products on So Just Shop are empowering
women in some of the most deprived areas of the world. Founder Jennifer
Georgeson tells us the power of retail with a heart

Having fun at Badala, a not-for-profit organisation in East African and Central America. The money the artisans earn has revolutionised their families’ lives

“Success must include two things: the development of an individual to his utmost potentiality and a contribution of some kind to one’s world.” So said my all-time heroine Eleanor Roosevelt – and she could have been speaking about the founder of online ethical retailer So Just Shop and the amazing women she is empowering.

Jennifer Georgeson has spent her life working to help others. In her 44 years she has worked (deep breath):

on researching the prevention of mother-to-baby transmission of HIV in Zambia (while she also studied for her PhD);

on preventing early childhood malnutrion and training traditional midwives in India and Pakistan, and

After two years with the foundation, Jennifer could see no improvement in children’s nutrition. So she began chatting to the mums and finding out more about their social customs.

Through this, she realised that women were key. That if they could provide sustainable economic opportunities for the women, many of whom were incredible artisans, they could turn things around.

Within two months, using local government grants and putting schemes into place, they began seeing improvements.

However, the grants were short-lived and not sustainable, so Jennifer began working on a system that would help give the communities their own economic sustainability by exporting their goods to other countries for sale.

And so, in 2015, she launched So Just Shop, a fashion accessories, homeware and gifting site that works directly with women-led artisans in 35 of the most vulnerable communities in the world.

Through So Just Shop, the women’s beautiful goods are sold online, in pop-ups – they had one in Bloomingdales – and via wholesale sales (one line was even carried in Anthropologie). Each piece is ethically and, where possible, sustainably made.

To get around this, she came up with an innovative way to make sure the money went straight to the women: everyone is paid directly in phone-app credits. Despite living in poverty, almost everyone in these communities has a mobile phone. Jennifer’s scheme means the women can use phone credits to buy the likes of food from the local markets – and that means everyone benefits.

“Women are more likely to invest in their family and local community,” says Jennifer. “Economic empowerment of women saves lives, increases education and improves the social indicators of whole communities.”

Obviously one who enjoys a challenge, Jennifer has set herself a fairly hefty goal – to raise 250,000 women and their families from some of the poorest communities in the world out of poverty.

She’s also taking So Just Shop on to new levels with its own brand of jewellery called Just. Each delicate piece is handmade or casted by cooperatives in Delhi and Jaipur, using women-led departments to teach entrepreneurial, design and management skills.

I caught up with Jennifer earlier this month to find out how retail is helping women change the world

Tell us about yourself…

I have an unusual background combining international development and start-up tech. I live in South London with a bouncing eight-year-old child and an even bouncier eight-month-old puppy.

But I’ve lived and worked across seven countries and three continents and I consider my life to be full of amazing life experiences surrounded by the most wonderful friends and family.

Why did you start So Just Shop?

I started So Just Shop with the aim of economically empowering vulnerable women throughout the world.

In many places the world over, women have little control of the family income and because of that they often have no control over the food that's bought for the family or decisions taken around children's health – “Well, I’d love to go and vaccinate my children but I can’t afford the bus fare.”

There are so many layers that end up blocking not just the child’s health, but the development of the whole community because if you think about the issues that affect the children, they will also be affecting the mother. She won’t be able to access birth control because she doesn’t have the money to get to the clinic so then she’s in a situation where there are more mouths to feed, that affects her health.

There are so many knock-on implications. That got me to the core of So Just Shop, which is that I want to find a global and scalable way to economically empower women because if we can do that, all of the other issues fall into place.

It’s been shown that if you put money into the hands of women, 90 per cent of it stays in the community, paying for health care, food and education. If you put money into the hands of men, only 50 per cent of it does.

Click on each image to enlarge

How do you decide which artisans to work with?

I’m extremely lucky that through my work, I have a great network that I can tap into – women's groups that I have previously worked with or that I've been introduced to. The world is full of extremely talented ladies making the most fabulous products.

We try and showcase as many traditional skill sets as we can, while making the products contemporary in their look and feel. So we hunt down artisans who are adept in different skills, reflecting their community.

What has been the most difficult part?

We have had little external investment to date and as an online business, this means we've had little advertising budget so we've had to work very hard to find our – extremely loyal – customer base.

This has meant doing a lot of small market stalls and pop-up events and a lot of lugging boxes and getting very cold hands and feet!

However, it has also given us the opportunity to speak to customers and hear their invaluable feedback on our products, which in the long run has strengthened us as a business.

And what has been the best?

I've just been visiting some of our artisans and I met this amazing young lady called Sonia. She was due to be married off at the age of 16 but through working with our artisan group, she’s earned a valuable income that has given her a much stronger voice in the family home.

She’s still working for the artisan group six years later, has completed a degree and is now doing a part-time MA. That's definitely worth a bit of frostbite!

How has your business grown?

The first 18 months were tough, but we saw a big leap last year – 2.5 times the sales on the previous year – and we’re looking at an even bigger one this year. We’ve expanded our market from consumer to encompass selling into retail and corporate/bespoke gifting.

I read that you came face-to-face with the Taliban in Pakistan…

I didn't! I was working with an amazing group of ladies based out of Peshawar, Pakistan, providing technical support for a project they were running looking at training traditional birth attendants.

We had been running this project for more than two years when the Taliban turned up at their local community office and told them to leave and never come back.

I’ve come face-to-face with community leaders that have been strongly linked with the Taliban, but this was a far more challenging situation – these women risked their lives to educate birth attendants (midwives) and educate girl children.

They are far and away the bravest and most unassuming women you could ever met.

(A warning not to believe all you read. Unless it’s on 50Sense, of course!)

Click on each image to enlarge

What are you proudest of?

That I’ve built this business from nothing. That I look around and have the most brilliant people working with me and supporting the business, both financially and with advice and other support. And that we have the opportunity to make such a positive impact in the world.

And finally, what advice would you give to women wanting to start their own business?

It's hard work and you’re the only one responsible, so the drive for it to succeed can only come from you – you know this already.

So surround yourself by people who want you to succeed; those who will pick you up when you are at your lowest, those that will pick your children up from school because you have a last-minute meeting, those that will take you out for a glass of wine or cup of coffee and listen to you endlessly talk about cash flow.

Ask for help, ask for support and someone will be there to help you get where you need to.

Many thanks to Jennifer for taking the time out to talk to 50Sense. What an amazing woman! What do you think of Jennifer’s work? Should we be putting more women in charge?

If you’ve enjoyed this, please like and subscribe below and share with your friends.

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]]>So Just Shop: Meet the ethical brand helping to lift women out of povertyMcTavish Collection: Beautiful jewellery that's making the newsFashion & beautyElizabeth Carr-EllisMon, 18 Mar 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/mctavish-collection-beautiful-jewellery-thats-making-the-news5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c8e5ce471c10b4ed9c4add5Rachel McTavish is a regular face presenting the news on Scottish
television, but did you know she also runs thriving jewellery range
McTavish Collection? Read all about her fascinating story and find out her
tips on the best pieces to have you making the headlines

Have you ever watched a TV programme and really wanted what the person is wearing? Well, if it’s a glitzy accessory you’re after, look no further.

McTavish Collection is a range of necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets and scarves that are often seen on TV. That’s because the woman behind the brand, Rachel McTavish, is a sophisticated newsreader who delivers the headlines to Scotland.

Her background is as glamorous as she is. After starting on a local news channel in Liverpool, she went on to present nationwide on the likes of ITV News, GMTV and Five News.

However, despite handling such big news events as 9/11 with ease, Rachel had a problem. While she always looked good, it was difficult to find stylish jewellery to wear on screen and give a new look to her favourite outfits.

And so, in 2008, she began McTavish Collection, sourcing beautiful but affordable costume jewellery both to wear and sell.

Over the years, the business has grown – which is no real surprise. Rachel is not only gorgeous (which I note with a sigh every time I look at her Facebook posts, as I sit there in my fluffy dressing gown working from home), but she has a great sense of style.

Her choice of products on McTavish Collection reflects this. They’re classic, elegant pieces – but that doesn’t mean boring nor unfashionable. Among the collection are some fabulous tennis necklaces, which are massive at the moment – Amy Adams sported one to the Oscars last month.

Rachel’s tennis necklaces will set you back a maximum £65. Amy’s Cartier piece was probably a little bit more.

In addition, there is a beautiful range of soft leopard-print scarves. I’m not a huge fan of large amounts of animal print (as you’ll have seen on my post about Absence of Colour) but I love it on accessories. Scarves are a great way to add your personality to an outfit and these will have you bang up-to-date with one of the biggest trends that will hit the spring. There are also some beautiful animal-print cuff bracelets, which will look great layered up.

Here, Rachel, who now lives in Glasgow with her husband Paul and their twin sons, tells us more about her move into jewellery, shares her favourite pieces and gives her thoughts on fashion rules.

Tell us about your life in journalism…

I started as video-journalist – a reporter who shoots their own pictures – and presenter for a Cable TV station called Channel One Liverpool.

It was a very small operation where everyone did absolutely everything. One minute I could be reading the news and the next, I could be operating the studio cameras for someone else’s programme.

It was the sort of job that I’d find exhausting now but back then, when I was starting out, it was totally exhilarating.

I left Channel One to go to ITN, where I continued as a video journalist. But one day a presenter didn’t turn up to read the news at Channel 5 and I immediately borrowed a jacket and volunteered to do it.

After that, I was a regular filling in on bulletins when they were short-staffed.

It was around this time that I heard that ITN wanted to start up a 24-hour news channel, so I went up to see the chief executive with a carrier bag of my showreels and pleaded with him to give me a chance.

When ITN Newschannel eventually launched, I was part of the team of presenters alongside big names such as John Suchet, Julia Somerville and Carol Barnes.”

It was a steep learning curve. Sometimes I was on air for six hours at a time and when there was breaking news, we didn’t have any internet in the studio to check facts.

I was on air on 9/11 and that is a memory that will stay with me forever.

Why did you start a “second job”?

Fast-forward a good few years and I’d got married and had the twins and moved from London to Glasgow. Once again I was reading the news, this time for STV (Scottish Television).

All the time, Paul had been telling me I should have another job on the go in case my TV career finished. And sure enough, in 2008, I found myself looking for another job after my contract came to an end.

I admit that I floundered for quite some time. TV had never felt like proper work as such, and so I wanted to find something else that would also fit in with small children but which was fun.

So why was this selling jewellery?

My family have a strong background in retail and that, combined with my love of jewellery, led me to think about starting a jewellery company.

As a presenter, you always have your favourite go-to jacket that you seem to wear frequently. I used to try and change my look by wearing different pieces of costume jewellery to shake it up a bit. But I found the choice very limited – and the prices seemed a bit steep – so I thought that might be a good area to start.

I found it incredibly difficult at the beginning to show people the pieces I’d selected to sell. When you think about it, jewellery is such a personal thing and I was terrified that the ladies I approached wouldn’t like my taste.

I gradually plucked up the courage to take a stall at a local nursery night and couldn’t believe it when almost all my stock sold out. That gave me more confidence to pick more and widen my choices.

How do you find your pieces?

I have a really clear idea in mind what I want. I have only ever sold jewellery that I love. I don’t think I could sell anything that I couldn’t envisage wearing.

I feel really strongly that as well as being stylish, my pieces should be good quality and good value for money.

What pieces do you like the most?

One of my biggest successes has probably been my range of tennis necklaces (above – click on any of the pieces to be taken to its page) and bracelets.

For years and years I’d hankered after a “believable” tennis necklace with stones that weren’t so big that it screamed “fake”.

I finally found a manufacturer who understood exactly what I was asking for and I now sell a classic tennis necklace for £50. The 3mm stones are set in a four-prong setting and it looks like the real thing.

My most popular seller is definitely the adjustable tennis bracelets. At £25, they come in gold, silver and rose gold and make the perfect gift as you know they’ll fit the recipient perfectly, no matter what their wrist size.

Newspaper and magazines often tell us the “rules” about how to wear jewellery, especially for older women. What are your thoughts?

I don’t think there are any “rules” as such for what jewellery to wear, I personally don’t wear matching sets and like to mix styles up and layer different necklaces and bracelets together.

But I also have a strong core of customers who I know will always ask for the matching necklace, earrings and bracelet as that’s what they like, so I try to cater for everyone.

What advice would you give women thinking of starting their own business?

I’d say: “Just go for it.” That might sound a tad gung-ho, but you can spend an age sitting there and thinking about all the whys and wherefores. Nothing beats just starting.

I would also suggest trying to build your own website. I’ve recently built a new website using Shopify that really was incredibly simple to do.

Good photography is another must. I’ve had varying degrees of success over the years but have finally found a camera and lightbox that suit me well.

Eleven years down the line, my jewellery has really taken over from the TV. I still read the news regularly and host conferences and have even started presenting a car programme, but the jewellery is where I know my future lies.

I’d love to hear what you think about Rachel’s story. Please leave me a comment. And if you’ve enjoyed this and want to be kept up-to-date with all 50Sense posts, don’t forget to subscribe and share with your friends.

Subscribe to 50Sense now!

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Email Address

50Sense will use your information to provide updates and marketing.You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at fiftysenseuk@gmail.com. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

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xxx

]]>McTavish Collection: Beautiful jewellery that's making the newsChi Fit teas and coffees: Rosalind Beere on brewing up the perfect businessCelebrating womenElizabeth Carr-EllisFri, 15 Mar 2019 07:29:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/chi-fit-teas-and-coffees-rosalind-beere-on-brewing-up-the-perfect-business5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c88088308522912e940a7baIn the latest of our Celebrating Women series, Dr Rosalind Beere tells us
how a car accident lead to her completely overhauling her life and creating
Chi Fit teas and coffees – while expecting her third babyChi Fit teas sent as press sample for review

Starting a business has been compared to having a baby. Dr Rosalind Beere went one better and was giving birth to her business baby – Chi Fit teas and coffees – while actually giving birth to her third child.

Yup, she was in the labour ward and firing off emails. Now that’s an inspirational woman!

Christian – her real baby – is now one year old and enjoying life in Dublin with his big sister Catherine, seven, and six-year-old brother Senan. Oh, and daddy Cian, of course!

Chi Fit, meanwhile, is officially a month older and also going great guns.

Ros who has two Masters degrees and a PhD in strategy, which she gained by studying part-time, began her tea company after being badly injured in 2015.

Wanting to overhaul her health, the 42-year-old lecturer decided to quit her addictive fizzy drinks in favour of tea. However, she couldn’t find any she liked – and so she began experimenting in her kitchen.

The result was Chi Fit Original Tea Blend, a delicious mix of ten ingredients, including green tea, mint, rose-petal tea, pu'erh and oolong.

Ros sent me some to sample – I won’t put anything on 50Sense I don’t like – and it is gorgeous.

When I was a little girl, my family nickname was Teapot because all I ever wanted was “a tup of tea”. I still love tea, but herbals…? Hand on heart, I can’t get away with them. I buy them – mainly because I love the boxes and I know they’re “good” for you – and then they lie there, gathering dust. Mint does not make tea.

However, because Ros’s teas have proper tea in them, they were proper tea to drink. (Bit bad English there but you get my drift.) I drank them without milk and they tasted great. I found myself reaching for them over my usual PG Tips without even thinking about it.

However, the best seal of approval came from Mr 50Sense. He is weird and doesn’t like tea or coffee (I know! How did I marry him?), but because he suffers from stomach problems, he forces himself to drink herbal and fruit teas. But he loved Chi Fit. “It really helps when my stomach’s playing up,” he said.

For the first time in 22 years, I found myself uttering those immortal words of love: “Do you want a cuppa tea?”

In addition, I tried the Sleep Tea Blend after a string of nights when the menopause was hitting hard and I was awake for several hours. It looks as lovely as it tastes, with ingredients including rose petals, chamomile, hibiscus, lavender, jasmine, valerian root and lily.

It had me feeling so chilled I read one paragraph of my book before falling asleep. And while I still woke up, I was much more relaxed. It was kinda like: “Yeah, I’m awake. Now I’m going to go back to sleep” and I did.

Chi Fit is also environmentally friendly and each bag can be used four to five times. I recommend four times, when I left it in around three minutes to get the full flavour.

Plus I love that there is an eating programme on the website for those people wanting to truly overhaul their lifestyle.

A quick disclaimer – this isn’t some sort of “get thin fast by drinking 15 cups of tea each day” programme. Instead, Ros worked with a nutritionist to create a proper healthy eating plan, with real food. It gives around a good 1,450 calories a day, which is what I aim for when I want to lose weight. (This is my goal after working out my TDEE – Total Daily Energy Expenditure. If you want to lose weight, believe me it is the best way to go.)

I’m not the only one who is impressed. From next month, Chi Fit will be available in Boots and Ros is also in talks with two UK distributors.

Here, Ros tells us more about the horrendous accident that made her want to overhaul her life, shares her top tips for starting a business and reveals how she was inspired by her little girl…

What is Chi Fit?

My Chi Fit journey began after a series of events events in my life rather than one big “eureka moment”.

Firstly, I was knocked down by a drink-driver in Donnybrook, close to Dublin city centre, in 2015 and I was lucky to come out of that alive.

Plus, after a 20-year addiction to highly caffeinated drinks and what turned out to be a bad back, four bulging discs and a bad left knee, I knew I needed to change my lifestyle and diet.

I’d heard lots of good things about green tea and pu’erh tea etc, but I hated them. However, I knew were good for me, so I started blending in my own kitchen.

My first blend was the Chi Fit Original Tea Blend, which has ten ingredients and eight teas. It has a lovely minty freshness and it gives you a great energy boost, plus so many other health and fitness benefits.

Once I had my business idea, I did a lot of research into the market and found there was a gap for an everyday tea that tasted delicious and was good for you

How did you come up with the name?

Finding a name took me a few goes. I knew I wanted something that connected the product to the ancient and authentic heritage of Chinese teas (not the negative connotations sometimes associated with “Made in China”). I also wanted a name people could identify with.

So I thought of Tai Chi and how people understand it’s an ancient form of physical movement and fitness. This gave me the Chinese word “Chi”, meaning energy and balance, and the “Fit” was to emphasis the idea of health and wellbeing.

How did you find your suppliers?

After a number of months searching, I found an amazing organic producer in Yunnan, south-west China. Then it took more time to translate my blend ratio from my kitchen into the final product. It involved lots of samples and me tasting and tweaking until I got it exactly how I wanted it.

I wanted the loose-leaf tea to be in teabags for convenience, so you can use them four to six times each and they still retain their taste and benefits. The teabags themselves are made from biodegradable Zein fibre, which was important to me – it’s convenience, but not at a cost to the environment.

It’s been the same process of development for every product in the range. I start with the product idea and blend it in my kitchen with the ingredients I choose. So say my Chi Fit Sleep Tea Blend – I didn’t like the taste of chamomile, so I blended 11 ingredients to get it to a lovely mint/rose flavour, but with body and a calming soothing effect.

It was the same with the Turmeric latte. I started with high-grade turmeric powder and blended it with non-dairy creamer and eight extracts, such as lotus leaf, cactus plant etc. So it has a lovely soft vanilla-like taste – nothing like turmeric – but it has all of turmeric’s benefits.

Why did you add a healthy eating plan?

I decided to get this developed so customers could also look at ways to improve other aspects of their life, such as health and fitness. I developed it with a nutritionist and it also contains 14 delicious recipes

In the testimonials on our website, customers say the Original Tea Blend helps reduce hunger, sugar cravings and aids digestion. It gives a great natural energy boost, which allows you to be more active in your everyday life. So if you drink the tea and follow our healthy eating plan, your overall health and fitness will improve and this will help you with your individual goals of being your best self.

But you can just drink it as a normal tea, too!

What has been the best part of running your own business?

I think initially, it was developing something that I needed myself. And then, as friends and family tried my blend, they loved the taste and noticed the health and fitness benefits. Some were even able to reduce eight cups of regular tea or coffee down to more moderate one or two. That’s a huge improvement.

I even have a Chi Fit coffee, so it’s not that I’m against anything. It’s more helping people to make small changes in their lives, like I did; to help them become healthier. If I can help even one person to feel more energised or sleep better – well then, I go to bed thinking: “I’ve done something good today,” and it’s incredibly satisfying.

What inspires you?

People. I love people and I love helping people.

I’ve always wanted to own my own business, ever since I was a child really, and I’ve had a few successes and false starts. But I’ve learnt something from each one.

Also, now I’m focused on my family and I’d like to have more of a balance in my own life.

I think I’ve found my passion in Chi Fit and I have so many ideas around new products for the future. It’s exciting and challenging at the same time.

I do have to sometimes listen to advice when given advice and try to slow down a bit and do one thing at a time!

What has been the hardest part about setting up your own business?

The hardest thing? Well, it’s time. It’s finite and if you want to make a business work, you’ve got to go full speed ahead and that may mean some sacrifice, meetings or tastings at the weekend, which take away from family time and time with friends.

But I always say to my children: “I’m sorry. I’ll be gone this Saturday, but you know I’m working on my tea and I’m doing my best for us all.” I think they get it and they love popping along to a tasting event and seeing mummy there with her stand!

I think if I’m written about online or in a magazine, then they will be really proud! (Kids, be proud!!!! – 50Sense.)

What are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of showing my children that you can do what you love and if you work hard – whether that was my job or my PhD – and do your best, it pays off.

Nothing comes easy so you’ve got to put everything you have into what you want to achieve, no matter how big or small.

I’d been doing a tasting event one Saturday and I came home and my daughter had set up a little shop outside our house! Everything was €1/£1 and she had put signs up and was selling little things she had made herself.

She was shy, so she left an honesty box and passers-by left money for her. But she was overjoyed that she had made some money and it was wonderful that complete strangers had bought things.

That was one of my “wow” moments; of: “Maybe she was inspired a little by me.” And in return, I was so inspired by her.

As well as that, one of my proudest moments was seeing my product on the shelf of my first retailer in Dublin and getting 200 online orders after an influencer posted that she loved the tea. That was February 2018 and I’d only launched the business a month before. And then I had my third baby a couple of weeks later.

It was crazy, but amazing. I thought: “I’m on to something.”

And finally, what advice would you give to women wanting to start their own business?

Go for it!!! Figure out what you’re passionate about, research the market, ask people what they think and then start to work away on developing your concept.

I’ve always worked full-time so whether doing my PhD part-time or developing a business, it was always in the evening or at weekends, in my own time. So make the time and just get started.

Stay committed. Don’t give up at the first hurdle or think: “Oh, this won’t work.” Keep going and believe in yourself.

It’s critical to have confidence in yourself. And if you can find a product or service you believe in, that you’re passionate about, that will shine through. People buy from people so if you aren’t passionate about it, how will anyone else be?

My first business idea was making and selling candles at 16 in local markets to family and friends – and given how popular candles are now, I probably should have skipped the 14 years in college and stuck with them!

But seriously, I believe things happen for a reason and I’m ready to run and grow Chi Fit more than I’ve ever been before.

And I’m a little older and wiser – I hope – and maybe a little more confident and don’t care as much about what people think of me.

You’ve one life so live it to the full. Do what you love and you will never work another day in your life – that’s my new motto.

What do you think of Ros’s story? Isn’t she great! Leave her a “hello” in the comments below.

Additional photo: Jill O’Meara Photography

If you’ve enjoyed this, please like and subscribe below and share with your friends.

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50Sense will use your information to provide updates and marketing.You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at fiftysenseuk@gmail.com. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

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xxx

]]>Chi Fit teas and coffees: Rosalind Beere on brewing up the perfect businessLulu Guinness x Bobbi Brown: A Pretty Powerful link-up to help women in needFashion & beautyElizabeth Carr-EllisWed, 13 Mar 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/lulu-guinness-x-bobbi-brown-a-pretty-powerful-link-up-to-help-women-in-need5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c87be044e17b645c8b6f4beLulu Guinness and Bobbi Brown are helping women in need look their best for
interviews. Find out how you can support Smart Works and the Pretty
Powerful campaign, too

It’s pretty fair to say I’m a Lulu Guinness fan. My diary is Lulu Guinness and is nestled in a Lulu Guinness Moon Face bag next to my passport, which has a Lulu Guinness cover, my Lulu Guinness umbrella and my iPhone – which is safely ensconced in a Lulu Guinness Doll case (although I picked up one for an iPhone 6, rather than an iPhone 7, and had to attack the camera hole to make it fit properly. The perils of going shopping when you live miles from the shop!)

Lulu Guinness has a chic playful style that I adore – grown-up fun that is suitable for women of any age. It’s helped by the fact Lulu herself is 59 and eschews trends in favour of following your own style.

“My mission in life through my brand is to cheer women up,” she once told Image magazine. “Give them a moment of humour when maybe they’re going through a difficult time and to feel pretty and feminine.”

It is not only humour that Lulu uses to help women, however. She has teamed up with Bobbi Brown for their annual Pretty Powerful campaign in support of Smart Works.

If you haven’t heard of them, Smart Works is a brilliant charity that helps more than 1,800 women a year in its London sites. It’s so good, in fact, that Meghan Markle, aka the Duchess of Sussex, chose it as one of her first patronages.

I think I have a thing for Lulu Guinness… (Diary in the handbag and I also forgot my Lulu Guinness T-shirt! Menopause brain at work!!)

You’ll know from my piece on the charity ALICAS, which helps domestic abuse survivors, how important clothes can be to making women feel ready to take on the world. Well, Smart Works takes this to the next level, helping victims of domestic abuse, as well as homeless and former prisoners, dress for interviews.

They also provide styling advice and interview tips so the women are confident and assured – or as confident and assured as you can be for an interview!

I also love that it’s not just London based. There are sites across the UK, including my beloved Newcastle and Edinburgh, as well as Birmingham, Reading and Manchester.

Lulu and Bobbi – yes, I’m call them by their first names! – have teamed up to create a too-cute-for-words limited-edition make-up bag. It features the classic Lulu Guinness Lip Confetti print and a classic red-lip zip puller so it’ll look sleek and stylish on your dressing table.

But that’s not all you get. Inside the bag is Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara and an Art Stick in Bare, a beautiful shade that suits all skin tones. It retails for £35, which all – bar the VAT – goes to Smart Works.

A successful businesswoman running a company with a strong female workforce, Lulu says she felt a real personal connection with the charity.

“I know [women] can overcome anything when we feel good in ourselves and positive,” she says. “It’s wonderful to see that Smart Works are helping women feel this way.

“The values of the charity are what I hold true to myself and my brand – to empower, give confidence and inspire positivity in women.”

Pretty Powerful is a pretty amazing campaign. It’s been running for seven years and has raised more than £250,000 for Smart Works. That means they’ve been able to open six more centres across the UK, helping loads more women. Incredibly, 60 per cent of the women Smart Works helps go on to get a job.

Smart Works chief Kate Stephens says: “The Pretty Powerful campaign has been part of the Smart Works story since we launched in 2013 and a crucial factor in enabling us to help more women.

“Both have shared the belief in that when a woman looks and feels her best, she can achieve anything. Over the last five years, the campaign has allowed us to do just that, raising over £250,000 to allow women in need to reconnect to the best version of herself, succeed at her job interview and transform her life.”

Smart Works gives its clients a personalised styling session with two volunteer stylists. They then receive a complete outfit of high-quality clothes and accessories for their specific job interview, right down to tights. Even better, the clothes are free and hers to keep, so she’ll always have an amazing outfit to give her confidence.

After they’ve found the right clothes, the women each get a one-to-one coaching session with an experienced HR professional or senior manager on how to prepare for their interview. Together, they look at the woman’s strengths, help her answering questions more effectively and understand what she is expected to do in an interview.

If she gets the job, she then gets another five outfits so she doesn’t have to worry about what to wear until her first pay cheque comes through.

I have to admit, I had never given this aspect of getting a job a thought, but it is quite genius. I mean, how are you supposed to look good at work if you can’t afford suitable clothing? Well done, Smart Works. I can see why Meghan was impressed.

One of Smart Works’s clients, Tina, says her confidence was at an “all-time low” when she was referred to the charity.

“I had no smart clothes to wear for interviews,” she says.“The dressers at Smart Works made me look super sharp. They were so kind and friendly. They knew how to dress me and gave me lots of styling advice. They really were experts.”

Together with the interview training, it worked – Tina was offered a job as a catering assistant the very next month.

“Everyone at Smart Works made me feel worthy,” she adds. “They really built up my confidence.”

As well as treating yourself to the Bobbi Brown x Lulu Guinness make-up bag, there are many ways you can help Smart Works.

You could run a clothing or accessories drive in your company, where colleagues donate high-quality products suitable for interviews or you can donate clothes yourself. Or you could volunteer and help style clients or give interview tips, or make sure the clothes are clean and looked after in the storerooms, or help with admin.

Or – and the one I’m most excited about – you can go shopping at the Smart Works designer sale. As well as top-end names, they also feature vintage, samples and high street brands so there’s something for everyone.

It obviously works – last year, more than 600 shoppers helped raised an incredible £70,000.

What do you think about the collaboration? Let me know in the comments below…

Main image: Michaela Tornoritis

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]]>Lulu Guinness x Bobbi Brown: A Pretty Powerful link-up to help women in needHow to talk to your doctor about the menopauseHealth & FitnessElizabeth Carr-EllisMon, 11 Mar 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/how-to-talk-to-your-doctor-about-the-menopause5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c8535f7eef1a1afdbc8a2b1It’s not always easy talking to your doctor about the menopause, but there
are things you can do to help. Find out how you can can make the most out
of your appointment

Going to the doctor is rarely a nice experience, but menopause can make it even worse.

I went to my doctor when my menopause symptoms got too much to bear. After bursting into tears while talking to the receptionist, I wasn’t in the best frame of mind and didn’t get the most from my time there. I was just so grateful that someone was listening that I didn’t proffer any thoughts of my own. (I don’t think I had any, to be honest. It was more: “I don’t care what you do, stop me feeling like this.”)

Several disappointing visits later and I never go to the doctor without a notebook in my handbag – I’m an old-fashioned girl – and research done. It has finally got me the treatment I think is helping.

If you’re starting to feel as if you need medical help with your menopause, here is how you can help yourself and your doctor and get the most from your appointment.

Know the symptoms

While you may recognise the headline symptoms, such as hot flushes and irregular periods, there are many others signs that you’re peri menopausal – and some are quite surprising.

Menopause has a drip-drip effect so sometimes you don’t realise you’re going through it until they’ve all mounted up.

Don’t wait

Don’t feel you’re wasting the doctor’s time or that the menopause is natural and therefore something we just have to go through. We do have to go through it, it’s true, but that doesn’t mean we have to have a bad time.

There is absolutely no need to suffer in silence. Medical help and advice is there; go and get it.

Find the right doctor

Few GP surgeries have an expert in menopause in them (don’t get me started on why not – there are not enough pages on the internet for my rant.) However, that’s no reason not to get the best doctor you can.

Ask the receptionist if any doctor does specialise in menopause. Failing that, ask if any of them has a specific interest in women’s health (you can often find this out on the GPs’ website, too).

If you know other menopausal women, ask them what they think about their doctor and if they can recommend them.

Be prepared

As I said, I have a notebook now with symptoms, questions, reminders of things I want to talk about, doodles (I get bored waiting. I don’t think the doctor appreciates my clown faces, sadly).

Write down everything – even if you don’t think they’re menopausal. Feeling extra farty? That’s a symptom so write it down. Better that than letting it blow…

Things to note:

When was your last period?

What symptoms are you having and when did they start?

Does anything trigger them?

How often do they happen?

Are they affecting your life a lot?

As for questions, you may want to ask:

What are your thoughts on hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?

What are my options for treatment?

Are there alternative or natural remedies that could help?

What does this treatment do?

What are possible side effects?

How do I take it?

I also go armed with my family history. We have an incidence of breast cancer in our family, as well as DVT (deep-vein thrombosis). I always make sure to mention them as they can have an impact on what medication the doctor gives me.

Finally, note down any other medication you’re on and the dosage. It will be on your records, but belt and braces is best.

Get researching

If we can’t expect expert advice at the doctors, then we have to become the expert ourselves. Thankfully, there are lots of resources out there to help.

NICE (the National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence) has set guidelines on the diagnosis and management of menopause. This covers issues such as diagnosis, symptoms, treatments etc and is an excellent place to start learning more about what you’re going through and the type of treatment you should expect to receive.

Take your time

Don’t be embarrassed

Whatever it is, your doctor has seen it, heard it, smelt it, touched it. We may be different shapes and sizes, but our bodies are the same. So don’t feel embarrassed about what you are going through.

Review your doctor

After your appointment, take some time to review how good or bad your doctor was.

Did you feel your doctor listened to you?

Are you happy with how your doctor spoke to you about menopause?

Were they able to answer your questions?

Do you feel happy going back to them for follow-up appointments? Don’t be afraid to hurt your doctor’s feelings. If you think you aren’t getting the help you need, ask for a second opinion or to change doctor.

Keep a diary

Once your treatment starts, continue the notes you made before your appointment. Write down any psychological or physical changes, good days and bad days, weight gain or weight loss.

Having facts and figures at your side will help you decide if the treatment you’ve been given is right or wrong for you.

What advice would you add to this? Let me know in the comments below.

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]]>How to talk to your doctor about the menopauseArtist Samantha Louise Emery: Getting International Women’s Day off to a fine (st)artCelebrating womenElizabeth Carr-EllisFri, 08 Mar 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/artist-samantha-louise-emery-getting-international-womens-day-off-to-a-fine-start5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c7ffba68165f5233b6210daBright, bold and complex, Samantha Louise Emery’s IKONA portraits are a
celebration of women, capturing the spirit of inspirational females from
Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai to an Anatolian vegetable seller

Happy International Women’s Day – 24 hours of celebrating women and their amazing achievements (although you can get that all year round on 50Sense!) And I can’t think of a better story to bring you today than by introducing artist Samantha Louise Emery and her beautiful IKONA Mirrored Interior portraits.

Samantha has a prestigious heritage. Her maternal great-grandfather, Arthur Wontner, played Sherlock Holmes in several films in the 1930s while her grandfather, Arthur’s son Sir Hugh Wontner, was Lord Mayor of London in 1973. In fact, 50-year-old Samantha can remember being in his home, London’s incredible Mansion House, during that time.

“My earliest memories are of walking down the hallway,” she says. “Looking in through an open doorway, I remember seeing my grandfather’s eyes quickly glimpse over to me and smile, with a wink, while still holding a conversation about some official business with one of his employees.”

Her parents were no less noteworthy. Mum Jennifer Wontner was a model and her dad is the Canadian Olympic gold medallist Vic Emery. So it’s little wonder that Samantha moved into a creative life herself, modelling and being photographed by the likes of Patrick Lichfield and – girl crush alert – the amazing Annie Leibovitz.

Nevertheless, because the real world is not a Hollywood film, life was not going smoothly. Setting off to explore South America after her A-levels, Samantha discovered she was pregnant – and she was no longer with her boyfriend.

Now it seems incredible, but I remember that time in the 1980s and single mothers, especially single teenage mothers, did not have it easy, no matter how illustrious their heritage.

IKONA 4 – Germaine Greer

Struggling to bring up her child and feeling the shame that all single mothers were made to feel at that time, Samantha turned to art for solace, enrolling on a foundation course at Amersham College in Buckinghamshire. In time, that led to her being offered a place at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

After interning with fashion designer Paul Costelloe to make ends meet, Samantha moved to Toronto upon graduation – she’d spent many years of her childhood in Canada – and began working as an artist.

She also had another child, became a step-mum to another two, travelled, divorced and then moved to Turkey with her younger daughter. It wasn’t easy.

“I received a great deal of criticism, as a mother and as a woman,” she says. “I’d never felt so low and as much of a failure as a person for what I had created.”

Throughout it all, however, she kept working. Painting allowed her a way to express her emotions and pour out what she was feeling, especially when she moved back to Toronto to deal with family matters.

Eventually, the therapeutic nature of art helped her find her purpose. “I began to see my life in terms of participating in other people’s journeys,” she says. “This was not only liberating for me, but through it I discovered a new wealth of experiences that enriched my life.”

And then, one evening over a birthday dinner, Samantha realised what she really wanted to do – celebrate the power of women, in part because of the deep gratitude she felt for all those she’d met who had added to her life experiences and also because of the strength she saw in her growing daughters.

From this was born IKONA Mirrored Interiors, a series of ten interpretative portraits capturing the spirit of women who Samantha has either known or been inspired by.

IKONA 10 – Lucy

The women chosen are widely diverse figures, including feminist Germaine Greer, jewellery designer Krystyne Griffin, Samantha’s godmother, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and singer and activist Angélique Kidjo (check out her version of Talking Heads’ Once In A Lifetime – fantastic). There is even a “matter-of-fact, maternal Anatolian vegetable seller” who Samantha met on her travels.

“Some of these women I have known quite well and have participated in my evolution as a woman and an artist,” she says. “Others have inspired me from afar. And yet all of them share something in common ­– they exercise their bold vulnerability with courage and dignity.”

Samantha appears in each portrait, to represent how the women have touched her life. She also created a self-portrait as No.10, “Lucy” – her father’s nickname for her as the alter ego to Samantha.

The paintings are bright, bold and complex pieces with many layers – “Is that how you see women?” I ask. “Absolutely,” Samantha replies emphatically ­– and I love their energy and spirit.

I particularly adore how it is only when you get up close that you can distinguish their features. After all, isn’t it only when we get close to people that we see the real them?

As well as celebrating women, the portraits also help them. A portion of all the income from IKONA is being donated to the charity Working Chance, the only recruitment consultancy for women leaving the criminal justice and care systems, and the Malala Fund, which works to give all girls the chance to an education.

In a message that couldn’t be more pertinent to today, Samantha adds: “We’ve been graced with living in a time when many women have asserted their feminine selves and have inspired others through their actions. Yet there is still much more awareness to be brought to the world about feminine solidarity, education and the positive effects it can have for girls and women today and future generations.”

Here, Samantha tells us more about IKONA, how she creates her portraits and the message she hopes it gives women on International Women’s Day.

What is IKONA?

It is a woman who is comfortable in her skin; who knows her self worth. Someone who inspires women to be true to themselves for the betterment of mankind and future generations.

How did you choose your subjects?

It began with my godmother and continued on from her. I instinctively chose women who struck a chord in my evolution as a woman, at that time, entering her 50s.

IKONA 6 – Krystyne Griffin

I love the portrait of your godmother…

Krystyne has been a major influence on my sense of personal style and creative outlook from an early age. She’s observed my highs and lows and remained consistently supportive in a very matter-of-fact way. She’s been a huge influence on my ability to feel safe with being vulnerable.

The portrait portrays her respect and compassionate love she has given to my evolution as a woman. Blue is prominent as it is my favourite colour, as well as hers.

Can you describe the artistic process?

My process is very instinctive after having done my research on each subject. Once I selected the image of my subject, I entered a meditative process that led me to understand them from afar in a spiritual and personal way.

Finally, what message do you want women to take from IKONA?

Fearlessly wear your colours and love the unique woman that you are. (I think I’m taking that as my motto for life – 50Sense)

If you live in London and would like to see IKONA Mirrored Interiors, you’re in luck. The portraits are currently being shown – and sold – at Mediaworks in White City Place until 15 March. In addition, to mark International Women’s Day, Samantha will be there today from 12-2pm to discuss her work and the women who inspired it.

Which women would you celebrate in paint? Let me know in the comments below.

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]]>Artist Samantha Louise Emery: Getting International Women’s Day off to a fine (st)artGrace Jones is a goddess – but that has nothing to do with her being 70LifestyleElizabeth Carr-EllisWed, 06 Mar 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/grace-jones-is-a-goddess-but-that-has-nothing-to-do-with-her-being-705b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c7ead0fec212da9bb373688Disco icon Grace Jones put on an amazing display at Paris Fashion Week, yet
all the newspapers could talk about was her age. It’s time to stand up to
casual ageism

When it comes to female icons, few have lasted in my pantheon for as long as Grace Jones. Usually, something comes along to dull my admiration – the weight-loss video, for example, or an overdose of plastic surgery. But that never happened with Grace.

For me, when I saw Grace boogie her way down the catwalk, I was blown away by a strong, confident woman loving life. Forget scowling with a model pout or walking as if she were a prancing pony on steroids; Grace put the Gigis, Kendalls and Bellas to shame.

Yet the media could only see a woman of retirement age who incredibly was still able to dance and look good in fashionable clothes. (They obviously hadn’t read my piece on dancer Dee Quemby!)

After they’d focussed on her age in the headlines, the news reports were filled with admiration about her “age-defying physique” and “ageless body”. “Its hard to believe Grace is 70,” said one caption. (And yes, I know that should be “It’s”, but that is how it was written. Bet 70-year-old Grace knows how to use an apostrophe…)

Shortly after Grace’s performance, I heard about the death of Doña Mercedes Junco Calderon, the founder of ¡Hola! (Spain’s Hello! magazine), at the age of 98. I had the pleasure of working with Doña Mercedes on the fashion specials when I lived in Madrid. She came into the office every day, dressed so smartly that it put everyone to shame, and had just finished the spring/summer fashion special before she died.

Heaven knows what the tabloids would have made of that!

Nor of the woman I met at the Women’s Institute last month ­– 90 and walking on her treadmill for 30 minutes each morning to keep fit and active. Or the lady Mr 50Sense and I met on the train in 2013, just before ­– anxious about all we had given up – we set off to Toronto for a six-month sabbatical before starting a new life in London.

She was in her early 80s and waiting for a double hip transplant, but was heading off on holiday with her friends because “life just gets boring, otherwise”. She then proceeded to tell us all her travels, her visits to places in the world I dream of, and left us feeling both ashamed that we had been so anxious and also inspired to start a new adventure.

How did we become so ageist?

Ageism seems to be embedded in our society even though, almost every day, I see older people defying expectations about how they should behave and act.

One of my favourite podcasts regularly – and unconsciously – targets “older people” or (my particular pet peeve and one that often drives me to tweet them) “older feminists” for today’s ills or to dismiss views not considered “woke”.

Now I know this may be a shock, but incredibly – and just like young people – we’re not a homogenous group.

However, subconsciously, we all view older people in a certain way – and it’s not good. While I scowled at Donald Trump (72) telling Brigitte Macron (65) she was “in such good shape” (the subtext being “for your age” – see below), I’ve certainly expressed disbelief over how young/old someone looks. “She’s never that age, is she? Wow!” In the same way, I get told I don’t look 52 and I preen. I’m sorry, but I do.

Consumerism has a major role to play in this. Creams are sold to us as “anti-ageing”, as if ageing – or certainly looking as if you’re ageing ­– is something to be avoided. Diversity in the modelling world rarely stretches to having older models, unless the clothing range is specifically targeted at that age group (because anyone over the age of 40 should not be going into Topshop or H&M, obviously).

Birthday cards make jokes about “not being another year older” and YouTube tutorials tell us the make-up tricks to look younger.

All in all, the message is that youth is good, age is bad.

Well, I’ve got bad news for you – day by day, we’re all ageing. And it’s pretty good.

What can we do to fight ageism?

Among the many things ageing has taught me is that nothing is forever. There is no reason for these antiquated attitudes to continue. We just need to take a few simple steps:

Rethink “old”

Just as we don’t expect someone 20 to be the same as someone 30, we shouldn’t lump 60 year olds in with people who are 90.

Stop assuming younger is better

No, we’re not like fine wines, thank you Hallmark Cards. But each day does bring new experiences, emotions, conversations and thoughts that help us grow. We celebrate young children growing older, it’s time to do that every year of our lives. Wisdom is amazing.

Forget stereotypes

We can’t all be Grace Jones or Doña Mercedes, but that is what makes us so amazing. Everyone of us is unique so stop expecting people to be a certain way.

Be optimistic

More of us are living longer than ever before and in better health than ever before, which is something to celebrate. Make sure you eat well, exercise and activate your brain and look forward to life because you could have a lot of it left.

Fight back

If someone is ageist, call them out on it – nicely. A simple: “What do you mean?” will do!

Mind your language

Most importantly, we have to change the way we talk about growing older because words have a huge impact on our mental state of being. After all, if someone keeps telling you something is bad, you start believing it.

So don’t say someone is “XX years young” or that you’re having a “nana nap” (we all know they’re disco naps anyway) and don’t call an older person a cutsie name like “love” or “sweetheart” (they have a name. Use it.)

And definitely ­– DEFINITELY ­– do not deliver any of these false compliments:

You’re never that old?

Fifty is the new 40

She’s amazing for her age

I’m young at heart

I’m having a senior moment

She’s over the hill

You’re still doing that at your age? Wow…

What phrases about growing older do you like or dislike? Let me know in the comments below

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]]>Grace Jones is a goddess – but that has nothing to do with her being 70Dry skin: How to combat itchy skin in the cold monthsFashion & beautyElizabeth Carr-EllisMon, 04 Mar 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/dry-skin-how-to-combat-itchy-skin-in-the-cold-months5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c7be994652dea887eab7a09Changing temperatures and harsh winds can dry your skin and make it itchy.
Award-winning skincare brand Epionce shares its top tips to keeping your
skin moisturised and hydrated

Itchy skin has been preying on my mind a lot this week so when I received these top tips and advice from Epionce I knew I had to share them.

Being itchy can be a symptom of menopause, but it can be made worse by cold weather and changes of temperature (and boy, have we seen this in the UK this week. It was my birthday last Tuesday and we sat outside in a beer garden celebrating – in February!)

We think of March being the start of spring in the UK, but it’s still officially winter – and anyway, we all know that the British weather pays no heed to what the calendar says. I’m not expecting any warmer weather until the end of April at least even then, apart from climate change, I’m being optimistic.

Until then, we can more or less bet on it being cold, wet and windy and this can make your skin uncomfortably dry or chapped – the delightful “winter itch”. Colder temperatures constrict your pores and this is what can lead to dryness and dull skin. Some people prone to acne can even find the colder weather causes them to breakout more.

Top tips to fight winter skin

avoid hot showers that pull moisture from your skin. It’s tempting to turn the thermometer up when it’s cold outside, but believe me you’re not doing your skin any good at all. Keep it lukewarm;

that also goes for your central heating. Lowering your indoor temperature will stop your skin suffering from a sudden jump from the UK cold outside to the balmy Med in your living room.

wear sunscreen every day – even if it doesn’t look sunny outside.

you can also consider buying a humidifier to help regulate moisture levels in your house. Not only will it keep your skin’s moisture levels balanced, I find humidifiers help me breathe a little easier, and finally

eat nutrient-dense foods and drink plenty of water.

Why you need to wear sunscreen

Out of all of these, I think sunscreen is the one most of us forget about. I find many women my age are dismissive of the need to wear sunscreen in winter – or, in fact, any time or location that isn’t summer at the beach (and rarely a UK beach). It’s easy to see why. When I was a teen, I’d smother my skin in cooking oil (yes, honestly) to get a tan. That’s how we grew up and it’s still a mind-set I see too much, sadly.

Harmful UVA rays are around all year round. They penetrate through clouds and windows and reflect off surfaces such as grass, asphalt and cement – all the things around us. They can also reflect off snow, so watch out you skiers.

Snow reflects the sun’s UVA rays so if you’re heading off for a skiing break, don’t forget the sunscreen

You need to be even more careful if you live at a higher altitude or head off somewhere high for a winter break because UVA rays are stronger the higher up you go. Don’t be confused that this means mountains or the like. I used to live in Madrid, which is about 667mor 2,188ft above sea level. I know it’s Spain, but winter in Madrid is freezing so I was hit with all these factors – cold air, UVA rays because it’s still incredibly sunny and the central heating in offices and at home.

So basically, wearing sunscreen with at least an SPF 30 should become a daily habit, no matter what the calendar says.

How do I treat dry skin?

Washing can also strip away your body’s oils, so go for a soft, gentle cleanser. Forget soaps – they’re too drying. Instead, I love Superdrug’s Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser. It’s a dupe for the Liz Earle cleanser, only this one doesn’t make my sensitive skin break out. Oh, and be gentle when you dry your face. Gentle pressing is better than a vigorous exfoliation! Yes, we want to remove the dead skin cells, but you should exfoliate in a gentle way, not via a lack of fabric conditioner!

This time of year should also see you up the level of thickness in your moisturiser to protect and quench thirsty skin. However, I’ve been using the Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream (Christmas present) and I have to say, I’m not feeling the love at all. I like the Night Cream, but the Day Cream seems thin and weak and doesn’t nourish my skin at all, so if you have any recommendations, send them my way!

When it comes to my body, I’m a good old E45 girl – especially at the minute, as my hormones are rocking away and I have extremely itchy dry skin. I go for the thick cream as I love how sumptuous it feels in winter and it works wonders on my hands and feet. In summer, I go for a lighter body lotion, such as Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Deep Moisture Body Lotion For Sensitive Skin. Neither of these are fancy or sweet-smelling – that’s what my perfume is for – but they’re the only ones that do the job for me. Good old drugstore!

Skincare ingredients to look out for

As well as following these tips, you should also look out for the following ingredients in your skincare products to help:

Step it up with a face mask

Masks are an excellent way to give your skin some much-needed TLC at this time of year. Go for something hydrating and smoothing, such as the Epionce Enriched Firming Mask, to counter the harsh weather and help repair the damage.

As well as hyaluronic acid and shea butter, which together help moisturise and hydrate your skin, the Epionce mask also contains willow bark to help the skinshed dead cells, clear pores and stimulate new cell formation.

Apply after cleansing and leave on for 5-20 minutes. You can also leave it on overnight to get maximum hydration.

If you’re in the UK, you may not be familiar with Epionce. It’s a relatively new brand over here, but its founder, Dr Carl R Thornfeldt, is an award-winning dermatologist in the US with more than 30 years’ experience. Thankfully, that means there’s none of that “my skin feels like it’s been kissed by a million unicorns” type hype.

Best of all, Epionce doesn’t use animal testing, either directly or indirectly, and instead its clinical studies are performed on people. The results are then peer reviewed and published before a product goes out.

What do you use to help your skin in winter? I’d love to know – especially any moisturisers! Leave me a comment below…

Also, you may have been wondering what happened to last Friday’s post… Well, I had to go into London for a couple of days for something very special that I can’t share with you right now as I’m sworn to secrecy. Honestly, I had to sign forms and everything. But I can tell you it was extremely emotional and exciting and nerve-racking all at once and I’ll be able to tell you all about it next month.

Make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss out!

Additional photos: Kcxd (CC BY 2.0) No “gifting”, sponsorship or payment was involved in this post.

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]]>Dry skin: How to combat itchy skin in the cold monthsMenopause brain fog: Top tips to beat memory lossHealth & FitnessElizabeth Carr-EllisWed, 27 Feb 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/menopause-brain-fog-top-tricks-to-beat-the-memory-loss5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c753181085229b900521197Forgetfulness, unable to concentrate, indecisive – the menopause can hit
your brain in many ways and leave you feeling drained and fuzzy. But you
don’t have to put up with it. Here are the practical ways you
can help control the symptoms and feel more like yourself

So there I am, upstairs in the bathroom, repeating to myself: “Don’t forget to take the rubbish downstairs. Don’t forget to take the rubbish downstairs. Don’t forget to take the rubbish downstairs.” And then I’m downstairs, cursing to myself because I forgot to bring the rubbish with me.

The next day, I was on my way to work when I suddenly realised I’d left my handbag at home.

MY HANDBAG!

Not a bus pass, not my keys (they were all in my lunch bag), but my handbag, an item I’ve carried just about every day since I was 14.

This, my dear friends, is what the menopause does to you.

Memory issues – or “brain fog”, as it’s more often called – is a common menopause symptom. According to one study into menopausal brains, 60 per cent of middle-aged women have some form of difficulty concentrating and it’s higher among peri menopausal women (that period just before your periods stop completely, which is where I am).

As well as that, menopausal women also have difficulties when it comes to tasks such as reading instructions or listening to new facts or coordination, as well as… Oh, a pretty kitten video… sorry, as well as attention span.

When you think about it, it’s obvious why. While we think of oestrogen and progesterone controlling our fertility – so your womb and ovaries – there are receptors for them throughout our body, including the brain. Consequently, when their levels fall, it affects the brain as much as our ovaries. And you get brain fog.

Thankfully, studies have shown this is not a permanent loss and that your memory will improve in time.

There’s also some thought that our brain fog may not be as bad as we think it is, but that we’re more aware of it because we’re more aware of the negative impact the menopause is having on us. So because we know there are changes, we’re hyper-aware of being more forgetful or not being able to find the word we want.

(Saying that, if your memory loss is really bad and having a major impact on you and others, go to your doctor to make sure it isn’t an early sign of dementia or something else.)

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help you overcome memory loss by restoring the levels of oestrogen and progesterone in your body. But there are other ways you can help ease your symptoms, too…

Eat a balanced diet

I know, I know. It seems the answer to everything. Well, that’s because it often is!

Food is fuel for our body so it makes sense that if you’re eating the wrong fuel, your body is going to react. After all, you wouldn’t put diesel in an unleaded car and expect it to work as well, would you?

So eating the right things is important.

When I lived in Spain, I was amazed at the number of fit old people around. One friend had a great-grandmother who was in hospital with a broken leg and couldn’t wait to get back to her mountain village. She was in her late 90s but was as active and mentally competent as ever.

Rich in omega-3, which has been linked to helping decrease mental decline, the Mediterranean diet means eating things such as:

fish, especially tuna, sardines, salmon and rainbow trout;

whole grains such as 100 per cent wholewheat bread or pasta, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgar wheat and quinoa (it’s not just for bearded hipsters. Honest). I eat this bulgar salad with cucumbers, red peppers and chickpeas for lunch in the summer and it’s gorgeous and so filling;

keep your room cool. Your body temperature naturally lowers when you sleep. By having your room cool, you help stimulate sleep and you can move through the sleep cycles easier. And you know, those hot flushes are gonna heat the place up too…

relax before you go to bed – try some yoga, meditation or talk to whichever woman “upstairs” you believe in. Anything that gets you in a relaxed state of mind and not thinking about the day-to-day problems you might have.

If you suffer from restless legs syndrome through the menopause, where your legs feel itchy or hurt when you relax, go and see your doctor. I suffered for years and it was so stupid of me because there is help out there.

Exercise

A mere 30 minutes of cardio each day will do wonders for you – and it doesn’t have to be in the gym. A brisk walk will do the trick (think of all those elegant Spanish women doing their paseo around the town at night.)

Exercise opens your blood vessels to get the blood flowing and increases your oxygen levels and this all drastically improves your ability to think and act.

Do a mental workout

Exercising your brain is just as important for keeping the little grey cells fit and well. Mental challenges help create and strengthen your neural pathways and networks, which makes your brain stronger. They can also make it more flexible and adaptable to change.

Good ways to do this are to try:

learning something new. From playing an instrument to learning to speak Icelandic, it doesn’t matter what you choose just so long as you stretch your mind;

writing with your “wrong” hand. It sounds nuts, I know, but this is a great way to increase your brain activity and stimulate new parts. I had to do it at work for a while when I broke my right arm horse-riding and it really, really makes you concentrate;

connect with others. Sitting at home alone is a sure way to vegetate. By talking to others and interacting with them, you’re going to engage more parts of the brain than you will watching Judge Rinder. (You can always talk to them about Judge Rinder.) Why not start a monthly Menopause Café so you can share your experiences and help other women in your situation?

meditate. No, this isn’t another hipster fad. There are plenty of scientific reasons to meditate, from boosting your overall health to making you happier. As far as brain fog is concerned, mediation increases your focus and attention plus your ability to multitask (ooooh, I remember doing that!). It will also help you keep a check on those rages that can flare up by making you more aware of what is going on in your mind. Headspace is a great app to get you started.

Most of all, remember you’re not alone. If you’re having a menopause brain fog day, say so – you’ll be surprised how many people will sympathise.

How do you beat the brain fog? I’d love to hear your top tips in the comments below…

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]]>Menopause brain fog: Top tips to beat memory lossCelebrating Women: Get into the groove with Dee QuembyCelebrating womenElizabeth Carr-EllisMon, 25 Feb 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/celebrating-women-actress-and-dancer-dee-quemby5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c729ebfe4966b4ed52e4461After landing a lead role in a new film when she thought her career was
over, the dancer and actress tells us how she’s still tripping the light
fantastic

On top of the likes of the Dames – Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Joan Plowright and on and on – it’s such a change from the days when Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were told they were “washed-up” by their early 50s.

Now I can add another name to the list: today’s Celebrating Women star Dee Quemby.

Dee has spent her life in showbusiness. She started learning to tap dance when she was 18 months old and appeared in her first show a few months later, became a tap teacher when she was 19, was one of the first women stand-up comedians to work professionally – including being one of only two female comics to appear on The Comedians – and starred as Tallulah “Lulu” Dingle in Emmerdale.

She’s now in her 70s, but has to intention of slowing down.

Dee not only runs Tap Works & Co, a weekly dance workshop in her native Loughborough, but later this year she starts shooting a full-length feature film.

Dee as Tallulah 'LuLu' Dingle in Emmerdale

How incredible is that?

I particularly love what her director, James Smith of Raya Films, has to say about her character: “The lead actor plays a lonely, but tough woman who refuses to conform to any norm of settling down, retirement or the usual stereotypes.”

Sounds like the perfect 50Sense woman!

I tried to get more details, but they’re keeping their cards close to their chests and all I could find out was it’s a thriller sent in a rural location, with “a number of unsettling incidents”.

But I think I fell in love with James when he told me: “Having Dee on board lends experience to the cast.”

Yes! Yes! Yes! A woman being praised and valued for her years and experience! I think I may have to lie down…

I also have a confession about the other reason I asked Dee to be on 50Sense: I did tap dancing when I was a young girl, too. We used to meet at the old Co-op Buildings on Heaton Road under the “tutelage” (she wasn’t that good) of an old music-hall dancer and I loved it. I still get itchy feet when I watch Strictly Come Dancing (although that could be my menopausal skin).

Here, Dee tells us more about her early days, her career and why we should all show off our fancy footwork…

How did you begin dancing?

I was taken to dance classes in Loughborough, in Leicestershire, in 1947 at the age of 18 months and I appeared in my first show – a pantomime – when I was two.

None of my family were involved in entertainment at all, but my mother had always wanted to dance. However, my grandparents couldn’t afford for her to go in the 1920s. So as soon as she could, she enrolled me in a dancing school.

My granddad was the landlord of the pub where we lived in Shepshed and he would sit me on a table as he mopped the floors and we would sing all the old music-hall songs together. I remember going into the bar with my tap shoes and dancing for the regulars!

What happened after that?

I qualified as a dance teacher when I was 19. At that time, in the 1960s, tap was considered very old-fashioned and not many schools taught it. But I felt passionate about it and had many children in my tap classes.

I taught at a school for 50 years and then started Tap Works & Co five years ago as I didn’t want to stop tapping.

Tap dancing is a great way to keep fit and active and having to remember routines is also a great to keep the brain going.

Tell us more about Tap Works…

Tap Works is a weekly drop-in workshop so many former pupils, some in their 50s, have come back to me. I also have two ladies in their 70s.

I absolutely love the tap workshops and I love having older beginners come along – we have such fun.

Dee with her former student Stephen Mear

Have you taught anyone famous?

I won a teacher-and-pupil award in 1979 with Stephen Mear, the West End and Broadway choreographer and director. He was my pupil from the age of three to 17.

He’s since won two Oliviers and other awards and this year, he’s reuniting with Sir Matthew Bourne for a new production of Mary Poppins in the West End. I’m so proud of him.

Plus many other pupils have joined amateur companies and now choreograph the shows.

What else have you done?

I worked for 28 years as a comic – I met Jayne Tunnicliffe that way – and I played Lulu Dingle in Emmerdale. I also played Judy Garland in “Death By Excess” Hollywood Godessses for Sky and I’ve appeared in The Last of the Summer Wine, The Comedians and a few films.

It must have been very exciting to get a lead in a film at this stage in your career…

I’m so thrilled that someone has written a film with an older woman in the lead and I can’t wait to get started with it. I haven’t acted for a while and as I’m now 73, I thought that was the end of my acting career.

Finally, what would you say to my readers who are thinking about learning to dance?

A lot of people tell me they would have loved to have learnt tap dancing but say they are too old now. I always encourage them to come along as it is never too late and I’m so proud of what they can do after a few weeks.

Plus tap has brought me many friends. My husband died ten years ago and we had no family, but some of the pupils I taught as children now live nearby and they really look after me if I need it and we go to shows, which is so lovely.

I count myself very lucky to have such wonderful friends.

I’d love to know what sort of dancing you’d like to learn? Or what you can do! Leave me a comment below. If you’ve enjoyed this, please like and subscribe and share with your friends.

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xxx

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]]>Celebrating Women: Get into the groove with Dee QuembyIssara’s sustainable fashion tips: How to look good and help save the planetFashion & beautyElizabeth Carr-EllisFri, 22 Feb 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/issara-sustainable-fashion-tips-how-to-look-good-and-help-save-the-planet5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c6d6ba4652deaed87b8efa6Fast fashion has a huge impact on the environment and the world around us.
Here are the simple ways you can turn back the tide in style

Sustainable fashion is one of the major talking points at any fashion industry event these days. When I visited Pure London fashion trade show this month, there were several interesting talks on the issue, while LFW saw the likes of Stella Tennant (girl crush), Stephanie Grainger (girl crush) and Yasmin Le Bon (yup, her too) walk in second-hand outfits at Oxfam’s Fashion Fighting Poverty show to show how good clothes never go out of style.

Fashion has gone wild over the last few years. According to Greenpeace, global clothing production doubled from 2000 to 2014, with the average person buying 60 per cent more items of clothing each year – but only keeping them for about half as long as 15 years ago. That’s a huge amount of waste.

Issara founder Rosh Govindaraj

However, there are things we can do – five easy steps, in fact, as luxury and environmentally friendly sustainable leather brand Issara tells us.

Issara is a new company founded by Rosh Govindaraj, a former management consultant, just two years ago.

Rosh’s job meant she was surrounded by professionals carrying expensive, fashionable designer bags that needed to be changed each season to stay on-trend.

Concerned about the environmental and humanitarian impact such fast-fashion was having, she set up Issara (the name means “freedom” in Thai) to deliver quality products using full-grain leather that would age gracefully so you could use them season after season.

After visiting a Javanese leather workshop in 2014, she also wanted to protect traditional crafts and help the communities that make them. As a result, the artisans are now paid three times the minimum wage, enjoy good working conditions in a safe environment and have health insurance and savings plans.

To minimise its environmental footprint, Issara sources recycled materials that are eco-friendly for its packaging, lining and hardware and uses leather from tanneries that comply with stringent international water and effluent management standards.

Of course, none of that means much if you don’t have a product shoppers want – but Issara’s totes, purses, travel bags are gorgeous. Classic and elegant, they’re pieces that will go with everything and will never date – no-brainers, when it comes to accessories.

Plus Rosh’s business model and wise supply chains mean they’re a lot more affordable than other luxury bags.

I’m particularly in love with the tangerine tote above. As I said here, with a wardrobe of mainly dark colours, I adore adding pops of colour through handbags. That beautiful orange tone is perfect.

Check out the gallery below (click on a pic to make it bigger). In the meantime, here are five easy ways you can look good while helping save the planet:

Know your style and buy less

There are more and more ethical fashion labels to choose, but the best approach to saving the planet is simple: buy better and buy less.

Moving around so much means I’ve had to be cut-throat with what I wear – we left our lives in Madrid with one backpack each – and you know what? You can manage. The trick is to buy better.

When you shop, think about your style and check that what you’re wearing will go with at least four other pieces in your wardrobe. This not only makes it easier to get ready in the morning, but will help minimize your environmental impact.

Do this and, to paraphrase Marie Kondo, you’ll be sparking joy in your wardrobe and the world.

Quality beats quantity

Neon is going to be huge for the next two seasons – but what about after that? It’s doubtful. When you’re shopping, consider whether the piece can still be worn next season and preferably many seasons after that.

Check the fabric to see how durable it is and make sure the stitching will not come away. High quality may cost more in the short term, but cost-per-wear will be much better so you’ll save in the long run. That’s better than an impulse purchase that will end up in landfill after a couple of wears.

Check the fashion brand’s ethical background

We buy free-range eggs because we want chickens to have a good life, so why does this concern often go out the window when it comes to clothes? Dirt-cheap clothes mean someone isn’t getting a fair deal – and you can bet your bottom dollar it isn’t the shop or the clothing brand.

Before you go shopping, spend a few minutes to check out the websites of your favourite labels and make sure you’re comfortable with how they work – their environmental policy and impact, their carbon footprint and how they treat their workers.

And remember, more expensive does not always mean more ethical.

Most recently, I’ve been impressed by Pala Eyewear, which donates a pair of prescription glasses for every pair of sunglasses you buy, and Sundried Activewear, which has green principles at its very root.

Wear ethical fabrics

Buying a long-lasting piece of clothing that can be recycled is infinitely better than something that is going to end up in landfill because it can’t be reused or repurposed.

When it comes to fabric, go for something that has a smaller environmental footprint, such as:

organic cotton, which requires fewer pesticides and is often free from bleach and synthetic dyes. It can be expensive, however, because it uses more land;

hemp, which uses very few agrochemicals and doesn’t need much water. As a fabric, it’s also breathable, moisture-wicking and warm.

organic wool that has been produced without toxic sheep dips. To be organic, too, the sheep have to be kept in humane conditions.

Donate unwanted items

Finally, take some time to clear out your wardrobe and home and consider donating your unused pieces to charity. With charity stores on so many high streets, it is so simple and yet only 15 per cent of clothes are reused or recycled.

H&M Garment Collection is a great programme to get rid of your unwanted clothes in a green way. Take your items in to a recycling spot by the till and you’ll receive a £5 voucher to be used on sales over £25. Every piece you donate is then recycled, reworn or reused.

Do you have any other tips? Let me know how you stay sustainable in the comments below.

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xxx

]]>Issara’s sustainable fashion tips: How to look good and help save the planetNutritionist Emily Fawell's guide to healthy eating during the menopauseHealth & FitnessElizabeth Carr-EllisWed, 20 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/healthy-eating-during-the-menopause-an-experts-guide5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c6c4aa8eef1a1309216ef22Registered nutritional therapist Emily Fawell from 4Well People gives her
top tips for how to eat well during the menopause

We all know that “you are what you eat” and the importance of a healthy balanced diet. But there is so much conflicting advice around about what is good for you that this simple adage is actually very confusing, especially when it comes to what to eat in the menopause.

Over the last year, I’ve been told to eat black cohosh, oily fish, saturated fat – the list is endless. It seems someone somewhere has an opinion about any food group going.

And while “just have some chocolate” pops up regularly on advice forums, I’m a bit dubious about the long-term benefits myself.

After witnessing a threads-long argument on Facebook about the health benefits – or not – of soya, I decided to ask an expert.

Emily Fawell is a registered nutritional therapist specialising in women’s health. She’s been practising for ten years, after becoming interested in the power of nutrition to help her debilitating endometriosis symptoms.

Now peri menopausal for about three years, Emily’s been managing symptoms through her diet and lifestyle, as well as helping a large number of clients to manage their symptoms at her clinic 4Well People in Ealing, West London.

Like many of us who have investigated the menopause further, her experiences have sparked off a real passion in her for spreading the word about the changes that happen and how to cope.

In February, she hosted a full-day workshop called Managing the Menopause Naturally, bringing together a wide range of speakers and exhibitors to share their expertise and solutions.

Emily Fawell DipION

There’s another workshop planned for 19 October – World Menopause Day – and I have it in my diary already.

Here, Emily tells us about the importance of eating well, weight gain and the truth about soya…

Why is nutrition important for women during the menopause?

It’s important for women to eat well at every stage of their lives. However, because uncontrolled menopausal symptoms can be so disruptive to how we function and feel, then it’s doubly important.

While the primary cause of many symptoms is the change in hormones, some symptoms could be exacerbated by nutrient deficiencies. Fatigue could be due to a lack of iron or magnesium, anxiety could be more acute because of a lack of magnesium. Hormone balance can be improved through diet and we need good liver function and good gut function for balanced hormones, too.

Good sex-hormone balance also relies on our other hormones, particularly stress hormones being in balance, which could be a challenge at a stage in our lives when there are many demands on us.

And how can we eat better?

Our Menopause Diet involves looking beyond hormone balance. When I work with clients, I look at the body as a whole and ensure that different systems are functioning optimally so the body can be in balance. This means looking at nutrients that support adrenal health, sex hormone metabolism, liver health, gut health, brain function, bone health and cardiovascular function and ensuring that the diet encompasses all of these.

Is there one thing menopausal women are lacking in their diet?

Every one woman is different and our diets can vary enormously, as can our nutrient requirements. I use dietary and symptom analysis to determine what each woman needs more of and create a plan accordingly. I can also use functional tests to determine specific nutrient deficiencies.

Generally speaking, though, most women need more good fats and more vegetables in their diet and many are not aware of the benefits of eating more phytoestrogens

Edemame beans are a great source of soya

Is there a common nutrient menopausal women need in their diet?

Again this will vary for each of us. If a woman is experiencing heavier periods and more frequent bleeding in the perimenopause, her iron levels could be low. If she is experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety and having trouble sleeping then she could be lacking in magnesium.

What is the most common misconception about nutrition and the menopause?

That there is a magic bullet and one nutrient could be the answer! [Hmmm, think I’m a little guilty of this one – 50Sense!]

Can supplements help?

Yes, supplements can help. But the trick is to find the right ones for each woman as we are all biochemically different.

Supplements can be great for alleviating hot flushes. But I often find I have to try two to three different supplements with one woman until we find the one that works for her.

There are so many to choose from that it can seem overwhelming to someone who is going through this alone. And what works for someone else might not work for you.

Can what you eat make symptoms worse?

Definitely! A poor diet will exacerbate hormone imbalance and can impact gut and liver health. It might also be lacking in the nutrients you desperately need to manage your symptoms. A high sugar diet with fast-releasing carbohydrates and lots of alcohol will not help if you are suffering with hot flashes, night sweats and low mood.

What is the truth about soya and the menopause?

There is a lot of research to support the use of soya for menopausal symptoms as it contains good levels of specific phytoestrogens. I would always advise eating it in as natural a form as possible and to check the food labels to ensure that it is not genetically modified. Edamame – soya beans – are a great place to start.

If you could only give one piece of advice about diet and the menopause, what would it be?

Introduce a tablespoon of ground flaxseed a day into your diet. Flaxseed is high in lignans, which support hormone balance. It is also high in good fats and fibre, which will support good gut health. And it’s great for keeping you regular which is important for hormone balance and lowering toxicity levels.

Lastly, the big one – we all know about middle-age spread. Is it inevitable that women will put on weight during their menopause years?

No. It is true that a change in hormone levels can make it harder for some women to avoid weight gain. But there are many things we can change in our diets and lifestyle to combat this, so it doesn’t have to be inevitable.

What do you eat to help you with the menopause? Leave me a comment below.

And don’t forget, it you’ve enjoyed this, please like and subscribe below and share with your friends.

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]]>Nutritionist Emily Fawell's guide to healthy eating during the menopauseSnag: Tights that won’t fall down and leave you doing the Hosiery HulaFashion & beautyElizabeth Carr-EllisMon, 18 Feb 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/snag-tights-that-wont-fall-down-and-leave-you-doing-the-hosiery-hula5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c698d878165f5f2b28aee70Tights that fit every body shape and won’t leave you looking like Norah
Batty or with a saggy crotch? Sounds like a dream, right? Meet Snag…

When it comes to the world’s biggest lies, “one size fits all” has to be up there at the top.

I mean, how often have you bought leggings, T-shirts, knickers etc that promise to deliver amazing looks on all body shapes only to find they’re too short in the body, too long in the crotch or just perfect – if you’re Thumbelina?

For me, it’s tights. Being 5ft and 0.5ins on a good day, it is difficult to find tights that don’t make me look like I’m wearing my big sister’s hand-me-downs. Usually they’re too long. I pull them up as high as possible – great for keeping your boobs warm in the winter – but they slide down throughout the day and end up bunched up around my ankles.

If that’s not enough, there’s the crotch. Now I didn’t do great at Biology at school, but I’m pretty sure your crotch isn’t halfway down to your knees. And yet that’s where it ends up with most tights leaving you having to do the Hosiery Hula.

You know the Hosiery Hula, don’t you? It’s when you’re walking along, looking glam and sophisticated, and you start feeling your tights slipping down your legs. So you do the little shimmy, grab the top and try to surreptitiously pull them up and get the gusset into your crotch area. Or somewhere close.

There are hacks to keep your tights up, but they usually involve wearing another pair of knickers over your tights (NB: do not try this with thongs. Ouch.)

Whoever came up with that hack was not a woman wearing a slimline dress and so needs body shaping knickers on. Or even a woman wearing any sort of dress or skirt and wants to eat. Unless you’re wearing a full skirt, you’re just replacing a saggy crotch with VPL overdrive.

And every woman I know has these problems, no matter how tall or short they are, whether they’re size zero or plus-size.

Which is why I was curious about Snag, a new online size-inclusive and body-positive tights brand.

Its ethos is simple: everyone deserves to be able to wear tights that fit them properly, regardless of their size, height, shape or disability.

Amen to that!

“For too long, women have had to put up with tights that just don’t fit,” says their website. “And we’re not just talking about plus size – this is a problem for big women, small women, short women, tall women.”

To that end, they offer tights that vary in height, width and body shape. And forget S, M and L, their size guide gives you a choice of curvy and smooth and A-G, covering sizes 4 to 28 and women struggling to count every inch on their height like me to those goddesses over 5ft 9ins.

Brie Read (second from left), the founder of Snag tights

Snag was founded ten months ago by Edinburgh lass Brie Read after she struggled to find a pair of tights that fit. Talking to pals, she discovered that it was a problem they all shared, regardless of their shape.

“Traditional tights vary in length, but not by width, so it can be a real struggle for women who don’t have a ‘normal’ body shape to find tights that fit,” she says. “For many of these women, a lack of tights that fit properly can lead to a major restriction in clothes that can be worn with comfort and confidence.

“Our tights are designed by women for women and cater to all different shapes and sizes – from very tiny to super curvy. We listen to our customers and create tights which will allow them to love their bodies and express their personalities by the way they dress.”

You can see how women were desperate for tights that fit. Since it started, Snag has sold more than 200,000 pairs of tights and has in excess of 50,000 customers.

They’re also a great way to add a pop of colour into your wardrobe. Colour-blocking is going to be huge this spring and after a visit to Pure London last week to see the autumn/winter trends, I can tell you it’s going to continue for the rest of the year. If, like me, your wardrobe is 50 shades of black and you’re wary of bright hues, Snag’s colourful tights will let you drip-feed a pantone shade into your daily look.

They also have beautiful sheer tights, too, for that transitional stage when it’s too warm for opaque but not warm enough for bare legs.

Now I hear what you’re saying: “Bet they’re not cheap.” Because that’s exactly what I thought, too.

But actually, they’re only £6.99 a pair and a discount scheme means the more you buy, the cheaper they become.

Sad news for Norah Batty, but great for the rest of us.

How to look after your tights

Careful washing is essential to look after your tights. It’s best to wash them inside out and use a hosiery wash bags. Always use a cool wash or, ideally, hand-wash and never tumble-dry or wring them out. Also, don’t do what I did for years and put them on a radiator to dry as the heat affects the stretch.

Try not to wash them after every wear. If they’re not stained or smelly, you can get away with 2-3 wears before washing them. The more you wash your tights, the more damage you do the fabric.

A squirt of hairspray before you wear them will help prolong their life. It also gets rid of annoying static electricity.

Put them on carefully. Bunch them up to the toe, gently put on and make sure the seam is over the toes. Then carefully roll up.

Follow Marie Kondo and fold your tights rather than roll them up to keep them in shape. (I do this now. It also saves loads of space.)

Do you have any tips for top tights? Let me know below.

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]]>Snag: Tights that won’t fall down and leave you doing the Hosiery HulaMenopause Musings – or why the change can be a laughing matterHealth & FitnessLifestyleElizabeth Carr-EllisFri, 15 Feb 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/menopause-musings-or-why-the-change-can-be-a-laughing-matter5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c644a7de4966b4d0edeb6feWhen there are so many health benefits to laughing, we shouldn’t be so
serious about discussing the menopause

Women experience the menopause in many different ways. Some sail through it, the rest of us have a tougher time, as you can see here.

Which is why I’m delighted to bring you the humorous poem Menopausal Musings from Lorraine Mace, who was featured on Celebrating Women recently.

Lorraine wrote this when she was mid-menopause and “going insane”. It went on to win the Petra Kenney Award and feature in Chicken Soup for the Soul in Menopause so I was thrilled when she asked if I’d like to share it with my readers.

I think I’ve gone through the symptoms in each stanza and that’s why I wanted to share it and share a smile or two.

Research shows that humour is often the best way to get through a time of stress, even grief. It can be hard to find something to laugh about in the menopause at times, but it is true that laughter is the best medicine. It decreases our levels of stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline and releases endorphins, which reduce pain and trigger a positive feeling in the body.

No wonder Menopause the Musical has been such a hit with menopausal women and their husbands in the US, where they’ve been talking about the “ch-ch-change” for a lot longer than we have.

We should be able to have fun with this time in our lives. Menopause should not be something to be feared. While it was great that the beautiful Viola Davis was talking about how her body was changing on Jimmy Kimmel last month, I turned a bit frowny when she said: “Menopause is hell.”

We need to know the truth about the menopause – the good and the bad – but describing it as “hell” isn’t helpful. How many women avoid a smear test because they’ve heard someone describe it in a negative way? And for some women, of course, it is a breeze.

I feel much better when I’m laughing about the menopause with friends, sharing our experiences and trying to find something – anything ­– positive from the situation. Giggling like schoolgirls at vaginal dryness, night sweats, farting when you sneeze and how our boobs have gone from giant balloons (her) to fried eggs (someone else. Not me. Honest.)

By laughing at our menopausal symptoms, we take away their power to control us – remember the Riddikulus spell in Harry Potter? The menopause is our Boggart (and if that name doesn’t get you grinning, you’re a lost cause.) It’s a time when your periods stop, not your sense of humour and laughter should be prescribed by any reputable menopause specialist.

I have no doubt Lorraine’s poem will bring at the very least a wry smile to your face if you’re having one of those menopause days, or a rip-roaring guffaw if you’re having one of the other menopause days. Think of it as a form of cognitive behavioural therapy.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Menopausal Musings

Who is this batty woman, with hormones all unstable,who used to feel so confident, but now is quite unableto handle even simple tasks with confidence and flair,who cries and yells and rages that life is so unfair?Dear God, I think it’s me.

Who is this dreadful woman, who once was so delightfulto spend an hour or two with, but now is just so frightful,that seconds seem like hours and days turn into years,who sobs and storms and threatens, then covers you with tears?Oh Lord, I fear it’s me.

Who is this happy woman, who thinks that life’s a laugh,whose confidence is huge and there’s no blockage in her pathto writing epic novels at ten thousand words a daywith wild euphoric feelings that she wishes could just stay?Oh yes, that could be me.

Who is this frenzied woman who’s trying to containher mood swings and hot flushes, which really are a pain?So many times she’s woken, to find herself on fire,with bedclothes drenched, but feeling – not one atom of desire.Oh dear, I know it’s me.

Who is this nutty woman with her crazy sense of humour,who terrifies her husband, or is that just a rumour?He’s male and he should suffer, we ladies know the cause.Our monthly curse is followed by the blasted menopause!You’ve guessed, of course, it’s me.

If you’ve enjoyed this, please leave a comment and like and subscribe below. Pass it on to your friends, too.

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]]>Menopause Musings – or why the change can be a laughing matter50Sense wins the Versatile Blogger Award – but there's a twist…LifestyleElizabeth Carr-EllisWed, 13 Feb 2019 08:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/50sense-wins-the-versatile-blogger-award-but-theres-a-twist5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c606cbbf4e1fc3c525b5ff3I’m overjoyed to have been named, but now I have to share seven secrets
with you!

Well, this is very nice. I am thrilled to announce that 50Sense has been awarded The Versatile Blogger Award! As I never win anything (apart from a tin of Danish Butter Cookies, two seconds after saying how much I hated Danish Butter Cookies), I have to say I’m utterly delighted.

A huge big thank you to Trace at the wonderful The Fashn Collectr for the nomination. It’s great to hear when someone enjoys 50Sense and gets something from it. Trace has a brilliant blog so check it out.

But watch out, girl, I’ll be coming for coffee when I’m next in New York.

What makes The Versatile Blogger Award special is it comes from fellow bloggers to reward other blogs for their unique content, quality writing and the level of love they show for their subject.

There are, however, some rules, one of which is to reveal seven facts about myself that my readers may not know.

So without further ado…

Seven facts about 50Sense

I have a Bacon number of 3

At school, I studied drama and still dream of a life in the theatre. I directed, did lights, stage managed, I wrote a subplot for Gregory’s Girl for a school production (Lee “Billy Elliot” Hall wrote the music) and acted.

And in one of those acting forays, I was on stage with my friend Dave Nellist, who played Mike Stamford in Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch, who appeared in Black Mass with Kevin Bacon.

So, I have a Bacon number of 3. Not bad. Not bad at all…

I can ask for two beers in six languages

I blagged my way into the VIP section of a posh exhibition

Fashion is an artform to me – I once argued that I should be allowed to buy and frame a pair of Gucci shoes because they were so beautiful. Mr 50Sense, who at the time was only Boyfriend 50Sense, disagreed. So when Louis Vuitton held their Series 3: Past, Present, Future exhibition in London, I was there and seeing everything twice.

And somehow, on my second trip around, as I drooled on the display cabinets and asked the bagmaker if she got a discount, I ended up with a group that had something to do with Vogue. They were being given a guided tour and, wanting to learn more, I just sort of tagged on at the end. Even though I worked full-time for HELLO!.

Next thing I know, I’m being offered a choice of drinks and nibbles (I chose non-alcoholic. I have some ethics) and my choice of Louis Vuitton-designed stick-on letters. I chose an E for me and a G for Mr 50Sense and they’re still on the front of my computer today.

The bagmaker didn’t get much of a discount, by the way.

I am incredibly shy

People I know wouldn’t agree, but I am a shy and quite introverted person. I think lots of journalists are at heart, as I wrote in my piece on being lonely.

But I also believe in fake it till you make it so when I go somewhere new, I adopt a confident persona and she does the talking, mingling and laughing.

It still doesn’t completely stop the feelings that I’m boring or the worrying about what I’ve said, but it helps.

Growing older is also an advantage because I now have more experience to draw on when it comes to meeting new people. Plus I can recognise when other people feel shy and nervous and make an effort to talk to them.

I was the first female night editor at The Scotsman

A night editor is the person in charge of a newspaper after the editor and all the other chiefs have gone home. They stay with the paper throughout the night, deciding what breaking stories go in, what old stories come out, and then leave after the final edition has gone to press and go home to collapse.

In 2001, I ended a 184-year run of men being the night editor of Scotland’s leading newspaper.

At the end of 2004, I became the last woman to hold the post when I left to go to Spain.

Shame on you for not having another woman in the position since then, The Scotsman.

I was once a Womble

Remember my acting dreams? I think they stem from my first Nativity play at school. All the main parts had been given out, so what do you do with the children who are left? There are only so many angels you can have…

Being the early 1970s, you make the littlest one into a Womble, of course.

So I took to the stage, with a papier maché head and a purple outfit (don’t ask me), and cleaned up the rubbish around the manger.

I think that eco-friendly performance will get me right past St Peter and into The Good Place no problem.

I failed my Maths O-level five times

E the first time, U the second (unclassified – I don’t think I even got my name right), E again, X the fourth and then a D, at which point I jumped around the school corridors because that was the best fail I’d had and told everyone I was stopping at that high point.

The X? I was sunbathing the day before the exam and got sunstroke. When I woke up to go to school, I fainted and collapsed on to the kitchen sink while making a cup of tea.

My sister heard the noise and came rushing in.

“What you doing down there?” she asked.

“Trying to get up,” I replied.

Even in agony, there’s always time for a funny…

That was quite fun, actually. I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me a fact about yourself that no one else knows in the comments below.

And again, a huge thank you to Trace at The Fashn Collectr. I am truly honoured to know my writing sparks a light in someone else.

The rules also state that as well as thanking the blogger who nominated me and share their links, I must forward, nominate and inform seven bloggers who provide similar inspiration.

So as well as the menopause blogs I go to, the blogs I nominate for the Versatile Blogger Award and recommend you check out are:

If you’ve enjoyed this, then subscribe so you never miss out on another post from the “award-winning” (!) 50Sense – and don’t forget to share with your friends.

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]]>50Sense wins the Versatile Blogger Award – but there's a twist…Running towards happiness: How a coffee with friends changed Emma's lifeCelebrating womenHealth & FitnessElizabeth Carr-EllisMon, 11 Feb 2019 07:29:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/running-towards-happiness-how-a-coffee-with-friends-changed-emmas-life5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c602734971a1829e8f82313Emma Brunel Smith tells us how she went from feeling lost to finding a new
purpose – and love for her body – after joining a running club

We’ve all taken leaflets about something of interest and then stuffed them at the bottom of the handbag along with a lippie that’s lost its lid and an unused sanitary towel, forgotten until you’re at airport security and get stopped and they go all over (oh, just me then…)

However, for 44-year-old Emma Brunel Smith from Oxford, picking up a flyer when having a coffee with friends led to a new career, a fitter body and a whole new outlook on life.

Emma – aka Embot – is one of the inspirational women in my life. She features in my From a couch potato to the Great North Run post and I think I can truly say I would never have ran the GNR if it hadn’t been for her.

Her story begins a little under eight years ago, when she was at a loss after leaving the world of academic publishing behind following the birth of her daughter Evie, now nine.

“I was really overweight, bigger than I've ever been in my life, and not doing any exercise at all,” she tells me.

Out with friends one day, she saw a flyer for the Garden Cafe Runners running group, inviting new members to join. “It was very welcoming and friendly and they accepted all levels of runner,” Emma says. “And it happened to be on a Wednesday morning, when I wasn't working and Evie was in nursery, and it was very near to where I live. So I went along.”

Fast forward a few years and that chance flyer has resulted in Emma running several marathons, making lots more friends and setting up her own business combining physical activity with a therapy service.

Plus, she says, the strength and conditioning has made her reassess her body image.

“It's totally changed my attitude to my body, which I spent a lot of my life punishing. Now I love it,” says Emma, who is now also the mum to four-year-old son Joe – and two cats – with husband Matt.

“I'm not Claudia Schiffer – nobody is, not even Claudia Schiffer probably really looks like that – but I'm my best me. And I love my body for what it can do now.”

Tell us how you started running…

It was a chance picking-up of a leaflet. Evie was about 18 months old and to be honest, despite having the most gorgeous baby girl ever to have been born in the world ever (no I'm not biased), I was a bit miserable and lost.

I'd decided not to go back to my career in academic publishing to retrain as a psychotherapist, so was permanently stressed out, working hard on a second degree I'd foolishly decided was a good idea, in an unpaid work placement as an NHS therapist.

Anyway, I was at a baby group with my NCT friends and I saw this flyer for the Garden Cafe Runners. So along I went and met this amazing group of utterly inspiring women.

Are they all lithe super-fit goddesses?

Some of them are retired, some work from home or part-time, some are on maternity leave and have a baby in a running buggy, as I did when I returned with Joe.

We have a few therapists in there too actually proving my TOTAL belief of how good exercise is for your mental health!

How did you start off?

That first run I wore a pair of old maternity joggers that were falling down with every step, a Judge Dredd T-shirt with massive holes in it and a pair of 15-year-old trainers. But I never looked back. I just loved it and from there I worked my up to my first 10k and then my first half-marathon and then I joined my running club Headington RoadRunners and the obsession was born.

Now I'm one of the leaders of Garden Cafe Runners, am training for my fifth marathon and am a qualified running coach and a qualified therapist. I’m extremely involved in my running club and this morning, me and Evie did Park Run together – and she knocked over a minute of her previous personal best!

What made you decide to go for your coaching licence?

It seemed like the logical next step, really. I got my Leader in Running Fitness Qualification so I could help out with Garden Cafe Runners, but I'm also heavily involved with Headington RoadRunners and was helping out at a ridiculously early-morning track session run by my friend and coaching mentor Tony. The club needed more qualified coaches and as I was already doing a bit of coaching and leading a lot of runs, I decided to go for it.

I have to say, it was a big step up in terms of the work and the commitment, but it was worth it. I really enjoy it and along with the track sessions, Tony and I also have an online group where we work with Headington RoadRunners training for their first marathons and half-marathons. It's very rewarding.

I'm also on the books of We Run Coaching and am VERY much available for one-to-one running coaching in the Oxfordshire area. #shamelessplug

What do you get from running?

Ooh, a lot!! To flip that around, you should see how HORRIBLE I am when I'm not running, if I'm injured or something. Ask my husband about that one!

What I get from running is more than just the physical exercise, although that is a big part of it. I realise now I'm in my mid-40s that I need a LOT of exercise. I feel so much happier and freer when I'm exercising. I love the endorphins, the buzz I get from working hard, getting a really good sweat on.

But it's a lot more than that. The feeling of accomplishment after finishing a marathon – knowing you gave it everything and that you worked really hard and put yourself through a lot of physical discomfort to achieve something you really wanted - definitely changes you.

Plus I have made some amazing friends. Running all those miles with someone bonds you. As does the mainlining cake and coffee afterwards and moaning about lost toenails and swapping tips on how to combat intimate chafing.

Do you think running changes as you get older?

Menopause affects women as we lose muscle mass etc – although I have to say, no one has told that to some of the women of Headington RoadRunners, some of whom are breaking club records on a regular basis into their 70s.

Maybe, as you get older, slowing down is inevitable, but only as much as you let it. The fitter you are and the more you do, the slower the decline will be. And I fully intend to keep running for a VERY long time.

I figure that by keeping myself fit, letting myself recover properly and eating the right fuel, I’m giving myself the best shot at being one of those 80-year-old runners.

What advice would you give older women who want to start running?

If you live in Oxford, give me a shout and come along to Garden Cafe Runners! For anyone who doesn't live in Oxford, I would advise starting with the wonderful Couch to 5K (C25k) and just build up really slowly. C25K starts with a minute walking, a minute running and you build up gradually until you're running for 30 minutes.

Or if you have a local running club, see if they have a beginners’ group that you could try.

But actually the biggest advice really is to just go for it. You are literally never too old to start. Be gentle on yourself, but just give it a go.

How has it felt to change careers in your 40s?

Well, I'm still very much mid-change and finding my way to a new career. But the short answer is that it's REALLY liberating.

I know I'm very lucky to have such an understanding husband who completely supported my not going back to publishing. My job for the last few years has been to raise our amazing, feisty, cheeky kids.

I met up with a friend the other day who is still at the company that I was working for at the end of my publishing career and she was admiring my purple hair (it’s now blue) and remarked that I didn't do it like that when I worked in publishing. She asked if I was ever tempted to go back to corporate life and I'm not even sure you can print my answer, which was: "HAHAHAHA! F*** no!"

There were elements of my job that I really liked – I worked with some lovely people – but I'm just not a corporate person. I can't physically spend that much of my day inside.

What happens next?

Well, that is the big question right now as I’ve set up a running therapy practice in Oxford.

When you're on a long run with someone, or even a long walk, you seem to be able to discuss things with a depth and an intimacy that just doesn't seem to work within four walls. There’s something about being outside and moving forward alongside each other that opens up the conversation in a better way than face-to-face, which can be slightly intimidating to some. I want to replicate that in a therapeutic way.

In terms of running, I'm training for the Manchester marathon and will almost certainly do Abingdon marathon in the autumn, too. And in between I want to start doing triathlons so I'm having swimming lessons at the moment, too (I can swim if “not drowning” counts). I'm learning to do front crawl like a PROPER swimmer, I have goggles that make me look like an angry wasp and a sporty black cossie as opposed to my turquoise frilly one with Day of the Dead skulls on it.

I also have a big mad crazy dream to do a full Iron Man in my 50th year. My husband thinks I've gone entirely mental and him and my mum both asked me if I didn't think that was a bit extreme, which obviously made me more determined to do it because I'm a contrary f****r like that.

Let me know what you think of this or any other 50Sense post in the comments below. And like and subscribe so you never miss out on a post – don’t forget to share with your friends.

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]]>Running towards happiness: How a coffee with friends changed Emma's lifeGrowing old gracefully and disgracefully – and why you shouldn't careLifestyleElizabeth Carr-EllisFri, 08 Feb 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/growing-old-gracefully-or-disgracefully-why-do-we-have-to-choose5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c5afa79971a184de7167915Women should be freer than ever to do what they like, so why are we still
being told there is a correct way to age?

When it comes to icons, Drew Barrymore is up there with the best of them in my book. Smart, witty and drop-dead gorgeous, she is an incredible role model for women.

So why did I end up frowning over an interview she gave with Glamour magazine last month?

In it, the 43-year-old Charlie’s Angels star talked as frankly as ever about her past demons and why this meant she would never have plastic surgery.

“I have an extremely addictive personality,” she said. “I’ve never done heroin and I don’t want to get plastic surgery because I feel like they’re both very slippery slopes. I feel if I try either, I’m going to be dead really soon.”

All well and very good, but it was what she said next that got me: “I feel ageing is a privilege. It’s about how to do it gracefully, with humour, self-love and a respect for the process, and that’s always been really important to me.”

Of course the papers picked it up, with the Evening Standard in London declaring: “Drew Barrymore: I’d get addicted to plastic surgery so I’m growing old gracefully.”

And it was that line that got me – “growing old gracefully”.

Stereotypes and the language around growing older have been bugging me a lot recently, spurred on by the magnificent Grandmother Williams.

She is the woman who told Philip Schofield off for telling her she was “young at heart”. Such language, she rightly said, is ageist. She is not young at heart because her heart, like the rest of her, is 81 years old. She is as old as she is – heart and all – and proud of it (one look at her bio and you can see why).

There are whole dictionaries and thesauruses (thesaurusii?) projecting this idea that there is a right and a wrong way to talk about getting older – and “growing old gracefully” is among them.

The Daily Telegraph has a whole gallery praising women it has deemed as growing old gracefully, women who look amazing without having any work done to them.

I’m snookered. I’ve had fillers in my eyebags and botox on my frown lines and crows’ feet. The first left me with bumps around my eyes that I now hate and the second just made me feel weird (I have an expressive face that too easily shows my emotions – Mr 50Sense is always asking what I’m laughing at or frowning about when I write. Botox stopped me doing that and oooh, I suffered.)

They didn’t work for me, but that certainly doesn’t mean other women shouldn’t try them if they want. Nor does it mean they’re not growing old gracefully.

Sorry, Drew.

Of course, men have always had a “get-out-of-old-age-stereotypes-free” card. George Clooney is a silver fox, Daniel Craig is ruggedly handsome and Keith Richards is a rock god for – well, for just being Keith Richards.

I admit, I love the fact that the women in the Telegraph’s gallery are embracing their age and yes, the phrase “growing old gracefully” sounds wonderful. I get images of demure dames in M&S dresses and American tan tights making jam and cakes for the grandchildren.

It’s all very genteel and nice and acceptable and Miss Marple-ish. It’s about being pleasing and attractive, in a grandma sort of way.

Not making a nuisance of yourself demanding to be treated the same as young people, not complaining about becoming invisible once you hit 45, not speaking out while someone 30 years younger explains how a computer works…

By growing old “gracefully”, you’re expected to accept how society sees older people. And that is as someone whose time has past and they accept that with good grace.

Stop complaining and wanting a life and pass the Werther’s Originals.

Also, I’m intrigued as to how you grow old disgracefully, because if you can grow old gracefully then you must be able to grow old the other way, too?

But how? By still loving punk and disco, as in my vision of the OAPs home of the future? By wearing skirts above the knee and the latest fashion trends? By being interested in politics and wanting a say on your society?

One of my favourite memories of living in Spain is seeing the old women at our local bar, drinking glasses of wine or beer and laughing uproariously at life – louder with each glass.

That’s what I plan to do. I’ve been going out since I was 16 and I don’t plan to stop when I’m 60 and beyond. Nor will I stop shouting at PMQs, listening to Depeche Mode or drooling over the latest catwalks.

And if someone can find me a way of getting rid of these eyebags without leaving behind lumps, I’m at the front of the queue even if I have to push everyone out of my way to get there.

As long as I enjoy what I’m doing, I’m going to keep doing it because growing older is about being who you are…

Whether that’s disgraceful or not is down to you.

What do you think? Do you plan to grow old gracefully or disgracefully – or just grow old? Leave me a comment below.

If you’ve enjoyed this, I’d love it if you gave me a like and subscribe and share with your friends.

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]]>Growing old gracefully and disgracefully – and why you shouldn't careJayne Tunnicliffe: From soap star to Street artistCelebrating womenLifestyleElizabeth Carr-EllisWed, 06 Feb 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/jayne-tunnicliffe-from-soap-star-to-street-artist5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c571df1652dead327843537Actress Jayne Tunnicliffe tells us how she left the cobbles of Coronation
Street behind to immortalise its famous faces in art

If you’re from the UK, then I challenge you to look at Jayne Tunnicliffe’s artwork without smiling - especially if you’re a Coronation Street fan.

I first came across Jayne’s work on Twitter, when a grinning Hilda Ogden beamed up at me as I scrolled through the doom and gloom of Brexit posts.

For those of you not familiar with Hilda, she was one of the mainstays of a British soap opera called Coronation Street, which has been running since the 1960s. It was a must-see in my house when I was little (hey, who am I kidding? I watched it right up until I left the UK for Madrid and then followed it online. Hayley’s death had me in tears.)

Set in the North and with matriarchs such as Hilda, Bet Lynch, Annie Walker and Elsie Tanner running the show, Corrie was one of the most realistic TV shows for many years.

Consequently, when I saw this fantastic rendition of Hilda, obviously drawn by someone who loved the character as much as I did, I had to find out more so I pinged Jayne a DM. After all, she looked like a nice, friendly woman. Reminded me of someone…

Well, it only turned out that that was because she was in Corrie herself. I watched her just before we left for Spain, when she strutted the cobbles as Yana Lumb, the best mate of Cilla Battersby-Brown (Wendi Peters).

I’ve approached and talked to many celebs, but one from Corrie… I went all shy. I mean, Corrie is such an institution it’s like meeting royalty.

But Jayne proved to be as friendly and helpful as she appeared in her avatar and was more than happy to speak to 50Sense about following a creative career.

Jayne first got her break on The James Whale Radio Show – which was on the telly, natch – and has been a regular in many comedy shows, appearing with the likes of Lily Savage and Peter Kay, who she met along with his fellow Phoenix Nights writers Dave Spikey and Neil Fitzmaurice (Ray Von) on the Manchester comedy circuit in the 1990s, when she was ukulele-strumming stand-up Mary Unfaithful.

Now 51, she marries acting, writing and comedy with her art collections, creating colourful portraits of famous faces past and present. I particularly love the mugs (the Bette Davis one is my current favourite and the link Mr 50Sense is getting sent to him ahead of my birthday!)

Along with writing, drama was my love at school, but it felt like something a working-class girl like me could never do as a career (you can read how I ended up a journalist here). That’s why I find it so inspirational to see people like Jayne following their dreams and moving into visual arts.

Here, she tells me more about her career, the ups and downs of a creative life – and what the Corrie stars think of her work…

Tell us about yourself…

I was born in Saltaire, West Yorkshire, and grew up in the Bingley area – a little market town between Bradford and Haworth surrounded by beautiful countryside. I spent my art student years in 1980s Liverpool and then I lived in Manchester for eight years in the Noughties. Now I now live in North Yorkshire, surrounded by my lovely friends and family, and combine running my art and craft businesses – Crafted Creatures and Voodooville – with acting and writing.

I was last seen on screen last year, in the BBC’s Moving On and before that in the film Funny Cow with Maxine Peake, but I'm perhaps best known for playing Yana in Coronation Street between 2004 and 2007.

I’ve also appeared in That Peter Kay Thing and Phoenix Nights, when I played reporter Debra Quinn, who interviews Brian Potter while Half a Shilling are singing Send the Buggers Back in the Phoenix Club.

And I’ve acted in Clocking Off, written and appeared in two series of Lily Live as one of Lily Savage’s sidekicks, went on to tour with Phil Cool and gigged with Lonnie Donegan, Little and Large, Labi Siffre, Steve Coogan, Les Dennis, Margi Clarke, Lee Evans, Steve Coogan, Jo Brand, Peter Kay, Jason Manford, Lee Mack, Johnny Vegas…

How did you move into art?

I’ve always drawn and painted. I have a BA Hons in art and along the way I’ve added other creative skills like sewing into my repertoire.

I have international buyers and love making art and sculptures for people. No two days are ever the same.

Can you remember your first portrait?

The first person I drew or painted would have been John Lennon. I was a teenage Beatles fan!

What do your former Coronation Street co-stars think of your work?

I had an exhibition of Corrie-inspired paintings in Manchester in 2006 and it was attended by a few cast members, including Wendi Peters and David Neilson, and also the creator, Tony Warren. Plus Suranne Jones, who played Karen McDonald, has my painting of Steve and Karen McDonald in her kitchen.

Away from the show, Paul O’Grady – Lily Savage – has bought my painting of Bet Lynch, as well as paintings of Diana Dors and Tara King from The Avengers.

Count Arthur Strong, Tony Maudsley (Mr Kenneth in Benidorm), John Challis (Boycie in Only Fools and Horses) and DJ Sara Cox have also bought art or mugs from me.

Whose mug do you drink your tea out of?

I drink my tea out of a mug that has my portrait of Laurence Olivier as Archie Rice in The Entertainer on it.

Many people are put off a creative career as they think it’s unstable. What do you think?

Pursuing a creative career can be quite a rollercoaster and at times I’ve done various day jobs along the way to supplement my earnings. But I also managed to buy my first property with my earnings from writing and acting in Lily Live, so I truly believe the saying: Do what you love and the money will follow.

I thank my lucky stars every day that I'm not trapped in a job I hate. I love the autonomy of being a freelancer – and it's probably no more insecure these days than working in a bank or a supermarket.

It will probably sound cheesy, but I can't imagine my life without creativity in it.

If you want to see more of Jayne’s art, visit her at Folksy, while her Crafted Creatures can be found here. Also, give her a follow on Twitter and say Hi.

Who’s face would you like on your mug? Let me know in the comments below. And don’t forget to like and subscribe and pass on Jayne’s story to your friends.

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]]>Jayne Tunnicliffe: From soap star to Street artistGym make-up: Look good while you work outFashion & beautyHealth & FitnessElizabeth Carr-EllisMon, 04 Feb 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/gym-make-up-how-to-look-good-while-you-work-out5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c56e79cfa0d6079fe9d2410Make up a beauty gym bag with sweat-proof products that will stop you
breaking out while working out – and at a price you’ll like

I’m a great believer that if you look good, you feel good, especially when it comes to the gym.

Let’s face it, when you’re working hard and then you look up and catch sight of a red-faced mess in the mirror, your motivation takes a bit of a dive – you think you’re a gym bunny when in fact you’re a rabbit stew.

I love my workout clothes from Sundried – which you can read about here – but recently, with my hormones fluctuating and affecting my skin, I need a bit more help to stop me looking as if I’m about to keel over before I’ve even started.

Some people say that wearing make-up to the gym is bad and hand on heart, I used to be one of them. And then I realised that I went to the gym straight from work with my make-up on – hypocrite, your name was 50Sense!

However, I don’t want to put on a full face and clog up my pores while I’m sweating it out in the Big Boys’ Room (free weights). At the same time, I don’t want something so light it starts running down my face, especially if I’m going on somewhere post-workout.

If your normal day make-up is too heavy for the gym, make up a budget-friendly sweat-proof selection for when you’re working out so you can still look good without breaking the bank. (Links to retailer sites in each title.)

I used to think it was a marketing gimmick, but a good primer is essential for keeping your face in place. I’ve used E.L.F. for years, right back to when you could only order it online, and while the price has gone up, it’s still a great bargain brand and being able to buy it on the high street is the icing on the cake.

I’ve tried this primer for a couple of months now and it’s part of my make-up arsenal. I have combination skin and this is wonderful for moisturising where I need it. It gives my skin a boost and keeps my foundation looking good all day long. Use sparingly.

Okay, I’ve cheated with this, but everything else is so cheap that you can splurge a little on your base. This is a brilliant tinted moisturiser – and believe me, I’ve tried loads. It comes out white and then adjusts to your skin colour to give a natural tint. I look sunkissed but not orange. It’s great for my sensitive, combination skin and gives my face an instant punch of moisture.

For a real budget bargain, last summer I picked up Primark’s PS My Perfect Colour Tinted Moisturiser. It gives a nice, light, natural look and doesn’t feel gloopy or thick. If you see it, give it a try – I got mine on sale for £2!

Brows are the bane of my life. When I was younger, I used to pluck away. Now I cry at the memory because they’ve faded away to nothing and a face just doesn’t look right without eyebrows - it’s the only beauty tip that I consistently agree with. Together with my eyelashes, brows are the part of my face I will always make-up – even though you often can’t see it under my fringe!

If you haven’t heard of W7, you’re missing out. It’s a great, budget range that is perfect for your dropping into your gym bag. The Brow Bar is a set of four shades to allow you to get your perfect tone and shape and they won’t move throughout your workout.

My mascara of choice for every day and while you can get sports waterproof mascara, I’d plump for this over any of them. I mentioned it before in my Etmore Beauty review and it’s my go-to for every occasion now.

It gives long, clump-free lashes and each lash stands alone. The brush is a mix of long and short bristles, so even the annoying little lashes at the inside of my eye get covered, and it doesn’t come off at all. Use a micellar water or a make-up remover to wash it off.

To be honest, my biggest hang-up with lips at the gym is the air-con, which seems to dry them out and leave them cracked. Go for a lip oil to give a subtle sheen with moisture that isn’t sticky. W7’s has argan oil in it for added hydration. Plus it was also named best value buy lip gloss in the Beauty Shortlist Awards of 2016, so know you’re in good hands.

What products do you have to have when you work out? Let me know in the comments below.

If you’ve enjoyed this, please like and subscribe and share with your friends.

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]]>Gym make-up: Look good while you work outHow to take care of your skin in winterFashion & beautyElizabeth Carr-EllisMon, 28 Jan 2019 07:30:00 +0000https://www.50sense.net/home/how-to-take-care-of-your-skin-in-winter5b7daaa836099bdf85fb2aa7:5b7daba321c67c1bee8189a4:5c4c1e1b40ec9a53af34f74bCold winds and central heating can dry out your skin, leaving you looking
less than your best. Here’s how to tackle the winter skin bluesAfter the longest autumn I think I’ve ever had, winter has arrived in the UK and with it comes cold air biting at your skin. As if that isn’t bad enough, you’re then subjected to the dry air of the central heating.

Mature skin in particular needs an extra touch of TLC in the winter months. Here’s the five best ways of giving your skincare regime a bit of love…

Studies show CBD oil is an anti-inflammatory that could help with acne. Because acne is a result of inflammation of the hair follicles and the sebaceous glands, the oil works to calm the skin, which reduces breakouts and redness. There are reports that it could also help with oil production.

I know what you’re thinking – acne is for youngsters. Well believe me, it’s not. When my hormones started to flux (makes me sound like Back to the Future’s DeLorean!), my skin broke out like it had never done in my teens and 20s. Spots AND wrinkles – life’s a bitch at times.

However, CBD oil is a powerful antioxidant, which means it could also help lessen the signs of ageing by diminishing wrinkles and dull skin. Wish I’d known about it five years ago.

(By the way, CBD oil is not a drug. Yes, it comes from the cannabis plant but it should not contain the psychoactive – and illegal – cannabinoids THC & CBN. There’s a tiny chance it might, however, so make sure you buy from a reputable brand. So no, you won’t get a high – unless you really love what it does to your skin.)

Eat fruit and vegetables

I grew up eating fruit every day* and I really notice a difference in my skin if I stop doing it – probably because I end up snacking on sugary snacks such as chocolate and boiled sweets instead.

“What we eat has an effect on the mechanisms that are associated with ageing of the body and these benefits will be reflected not only in terms of good health, but also in the condition of the skin,” nutritionist Dr Marilyn Glenville, the author of andNatural Alternatives to Sugar, says.

“Vitamin C is the most important nutrient as this vitamin helps in the manufacturing of collagen so a good intake of fruits and vegetables is important and should be eaten on a daily basis.”

The importance of fruit and vegetables in a healthy diet can’t be overstated, especially when we get older. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables have been tied to fewer menopause symptoms, while they’re also essential for bone health.

I also find that I look after myself better when I eat better – it gives me the energy I need to do things like take my make-up off properly at night and put on all my lotions and potions. Plus there is nothing tastier than a ripe strawberry or a handful of sugarsnap peas.

(* My mam is of the old-school method of boiling veg until it’s mush so while we also had vegetables with every meal, all the goodness had long since disappeared.)

Add a touch of seaweed to your diet

When I was a teenager, a boy tried to scare me with seaweed on the beach at Whitley Bay. I remember us both being bemused when I took it out of his hand and asked what I was supposed to do with it! He’d be even more incredulous that I now eat seaweed. When we go out for a Chinese meal, they have to whirl the lazy susan away from me when it’s placed down on the table.

I’m glad I do because seaweed is swimming (sorry) in beauty benefits. Antioxidants help protect against free-radicals, fighting the signs of ageing from the inside out, while it’s also packed with vitamins, minerals and salts to nourish your skin.

Learn to manage your stress levels

My skin is the first thing to suffer when I feel stressed. I look dull, get furrow lines from frowning and I develop under-eye bags so deep I feel like I could carry potatoes in them. I’ve tried meditation and mindfulness but I never feel relaxed, which means I end up getting more stressed – especially in the dark, cold months. The one thing that does it for me is yoga.

I have enthused about Chaz Rough’s Yogamazing podcast (above) for years. Mr 50Sense started me on it after it helped his back. The focus and Chaz’s calming voice means it is just 20 minutes of bliss, where I can truly let my mind go. Yoga is the only exercise where I honestly get an exercise high afterwards. It leaves me feeling great.

It’s also cheap – all you need is a mat. Make sure you choose one that’s light and flexible so you can carry it around if needs be and also test it’s stickiness. You don’t want to slip in the crow pose.

Exfoliate your skin

Two times a week, I exfoliate both my face and my body to remove dry, flaky and dead skin. At the minute, I’ve fallen in love with Mr 50Sense’s Bulldog Original Face Scrub (that’s between you, me and the bathroom). It contains aloe vera, camelina oil and green tea and feels so smooth – which is weird, because it’s a scrub! But it’s not one of those scrubs that tears away from your skin. It’s soft and gentle and I can notice the difference afterwards. Let’s hope Mr 50Sense doesn’t notice it going down quicker than it should…

For the rest of me, I’ve been converted to the Rabot 1745 Coffee Body Scrub from Hotel Chocolat. I first saw this at a press event and tried in against my hand and I was amazed at how hydrating and creamy it felt, which is perfect for the dry, winter months. Plus it smells of coffee – but in a nice way, not that horrible chemically sense that so often plagues food-based beauty products.

Apply both on wet skin in the shower or bath, using gentle, circular motions. For a start, just massaging your skin feels wonderful and you’re left feeling refreshed and clean.

And while you may want a hot shower after being out in the cold, make sure to use warm water and gentle body washes so you don’t strip your natural oils away any more.

What are your top tips for taking care of winter skin? Let me know below.

Don’t forget to like and subscribe and share these skincare tips with your friends.

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